Thicker Than Water
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: Itachi Uchiha was forced to choose between his freedom and protecting his family when Lord Indra summoned him to his castle. Navigating life at court for the past ten years had been difficult enough, but the arrival of a demon digs up emotions long since buried. And two guests to Indra's court force a decade of secrets to surface as Itachi faces a brother he hadn't seen in years.
1. Chapter 1

Thicker Than Water

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Alright, so this story was a request from one of Silver's readers, and one that we tossed around a bit before sinking our fangs into. It's going to be angsty, sexy, and awesome.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** This story will be one of several collaborations that **Celestia193** and I are planning to release this summer. As Celestia said, this was a request. It's also a yaoi story with two male x male romantic pairings. If that's not your thing, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, we hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated. Happy reading.

 **Disclaimer:** We don't own Naruto and make no profit off of any of our fanfics.

Chapter 1

In the grand open courtyard of the Great Lord's castle, six figures do battle, five against a single opponent wielding a shining silver sword. Silver steel armor catches the glare of the torches as the lithe, agile figure darts back and forth, blocking and dodging, parrying and returning viciously accurate thrusts of a hand and a half sword.

Three of the figures surrounding the first fall back, stumbling and growling as they try to find their feet. Two more take their place, only for their feet to be swept out from under them, and blood drawn as the single fighter's sword flies through the air like a lightning bolt.

The sharp clang of steel on steel rings through the air as clearly as a bell. the scraping of sword on sword fills the din of the night, the only sign of life in a largely dead castle. And stepping through his first opponent's guard, the young man catches her by surprise, striking a blow to her shoulder that draws blood. As soon as blood is drawn, the woman withdraws, as per the rules.

However, the second fares no better as he lunges at his prey, only for his prey to become hunter as the young man deftly turns the blade aside, and a crackle of light accompanies the cracking of a bone. The second fighter withdraws.

Like a dance, the young man takes on the last three, parrying a blow to force one of his opponents to strike another on the opposite side, providing him the opportunity to strike at his opponent's side, sliding through cloth as easily as through butter. The two opponents both withdraw.

The last one thinks to surprise him, only for his sneak attack to be deftly dodged, and a sharp crack is heard as the jewelled pommel of the young man's sword clips his last opponent's chin, breaking the delicate bones of the pale one's jaw. The last one growls, refusing to withdraw, and forcing the young man to become aggressive, swords clanging once more as he twirls his opponent's sword from their powerful grip, flinging it into the dust as he knocks down and stands over his opponent.

"You are done." Though he knew that, were they fighting to kill, and had he no sword, this training match would have ended very differently. Five opponents stand defeated in the shadows, red eyes glaring at the young man with the long hair as black as night. The young man who was the only human who remained a non-feeder in this vampiric court. Just as he had since first arriving a decade before.

* * *

 _He was a boy of only thirteen when the man came from the castle to his clan's lands. Many might consider it an honour to be found worthy of notice by the inhabitants of the castle nevertheless the Great Lord himself. Save, of course, for those who lived in fear of them. To those who dwelled within the many castles strewn about the landscape, humans were playthings, entertainment, food. To be summoned to the castle could be construed as high praise. for one had to be beautiful, talented, or powerful in order to catch their eye._

 _For the young heir to one of the magical human clans that continued to exist at the 'mercy' of the Great Lord, these requirements proved a curse, for there was no hiding him from sight. There could be no hiding him when he continued to blossom._

 _And his father had already denied the summons twice. He feared, as he sat in his family's training hall, that there would not be a third time._

 _A powerful knock sounded on the heavy oak door. The boy's voice remained cool and calm, even as it trembled slightly. "Yes...come in." They had come for him again, and he knew it._

 _"You're Itachi, I take it?" A silver haired vampire walks towards him. His style of gait was deceptively casual. "You're a man now by our standards. At thirteen, the decision no longer belongs solely to your parents." He smiles at him, revealing his fangs. "So I would urge you to come. I have no wish to have any of this be unpleasant." Kakashi really didn't want to throw his weight around some poor kid who happened to be magically gifted. It wasn't a fair fight, no matter how talented the boy was._

 _Itachi nods solemnly. "...And if I go with you, my clan will remain safe?" His family's safety was all that mattered now, because the truth was that he no longer had a choice. But he could still bargain his life for his clan._

 _The poor boy. He was so noble. Thinking of his clan, when he should be more worried about himself. The rewards and risks of being a human inside the castle walls were both great. "Yes, they'll be safe." He smiles at him. "The Lord will have no reason to bear a grudge towards your clan if you go." If he didn't, well Kakashi would try to calm him and hope another whim struck him before Indra destroyed the proud coven._

 _Then the decision had been made for him. "Take me, then." Itachi rises to his feet, standing a mere five feet tall as he looks up to the vampire before him. "There will be nothing for me here if I stay." Only corpses and fire. And Itachi would die before he saw such a fate befall those he loved._

 _Kakashi nodded at him as he led Itachi out of the building and into the awaiting carriage. Surprisingly enough, it wouldn't be that long a ride. Only a half a day's leisurely pace on carriage and two days walk on foot. How strange that two such different worlds were so close together, he mused._

 _But as Itachi made to step into the carriage, he heard the tiny, rapid footsteps he knew better than his own. He curses quietly as he turns his head to see a tiny ball of energy with spiky black hair racing towards him. "Sasuke..."_

 _"Itachi! Where are you going?" The small child looked at his brother with frightened eyes. "He's a vampire!"_

 _Kakashi chuckled at that. "He's a perceptive one." He smiled at Itachi reassuringly. "He's got good eyes, but my name is actually Kakashi by the way, boy."_

 _Sasuke bit his lower lip at that as he raced over towards Itachi. Maybe he had decided that the silver haired vampire wasn't as big threat because he had laughed or maybe Sasuke had just been that desperate to 'save' Itachi. Who really knew?_

 _Itachi took a deep breath, perhaps one of the few he had left. "I know that he is a vampire, Sasuke. And I am going with him to the castle." He had to ward his little brother away. His father would only have one heir now, and Itachi would do whatever it took to protect his little brother. "You cannot come with me, you were not invited."_

 _Tears and confusion welled up in Sasuke's young eyes as he stared at his brother in horror. "Why?" It was obvious what was going on in the young boy's mind, but he was still innocent enough not to hide his feelings. "Father already told Lord Indra no twice..."_

 _"Because they are powerful, more than anyone here." Itachi's gaze hardens slightly. "Lord Indra has seen my power and wants me for himself. So I will go with this man to live with the vampires, and I will never return to this place. Forget that I was ever your brother, and I will forget that your clan ever lived." If this was would keep his little brother away, Itachi would say whatever he had to._

 _The tears now flowed freely. "They already sunk their fangs into you." His eyes flashed red for the briefest of moments. "You're dead! You're dead!" Probably because that was the only way a child could really understand even slightly what it meant to be a vampire. "You said you'd always be there, but now you're just like them!"_

 _Not yet, but there was every chance he might be. Whether a feeder or turned or made into a servant, Itachi didn't know what his fate would be. But it stabbed at his heart to see his brother's tears, his rage. "Yes, they have. Now run back to your parents and let them dry your tears. I will never do so again."_

 _Sasuke's hands twitched and for a second, the faint smell smoke drifted over. The child did the 'smart' thing though, bowed to Kakashi, and ran off. It looked like Sasuke had either figured out how to make fire or was close enough to it, that he had almost openly courted death that day had he actually attacked the carriage or even worse, them._

 _"Smart kid." Kakashi watched with what might have been a flicker of sympathy. "I won't tell his Lordship he shows promise, unless you wish it."_

 _Itachi's gaze darkens as he steps into the carriage. "No, I would rather Sasuke remain unknown to him. Receiving myself as tribute should be more than sufficient. I am the pride of my clan, and your Lord will have to be satisfied with that."_

 _"As you wish, I thought you might have enjoyed his company." He urged the driver off. "I know it can be lonely for humans at the castle who possess your potential."_

 _Better to be alone than to lead his foolish...precious little brother straight into the dragon's den. "No, I doubt I would have the time to look after him there while serving your Lord's demands." And Itachi would rather keep all fangs as far away from Sasuke as possible._

 _Kakashi sighed as he looked out the carriage. "If you play your cards right, you can be quite happy with your new lot in life." He glanced at Itachi with pity. "That's what I did after my father's death. Were it not for the Lord, I probably would have died a beggar or in a workhouse somewhere. Your situation is different, but the end result is the same." They both knew it, but it needed to be said. "You can choose to thrive, adapt and live, or be foolish and go to an early grave."_

 _"I will do what is asked of me in exchanged for my family's safety." Whether that be to simply be a pretty decoration, serve Indra personally, die for Indra's satisfaction, or hone his talents and prove himself. "I would prefer to live, to fulfil this bargain on my skills alone, but I realize that may not be an option." Itachi closes his eyes, tears dripping silently down his cheeks. "Everything I do is for those I love, even if I may never see them again." Even at only thirteen, if this was the sacrifice asked of him, he would make it for them. He would._

 _Kakashi nodded at Itachi. It was a quiet resignation then. That was the rarest reaction that humans had. Most were either overjoyed, terrified, or furious. Which meant that Itachi might actually live long enough to see his next birthday if he kept his cool head._

* * *

 _His many long hours of training as a child were what keep the boy on his feet the whole two days that they walked to the secluded castle. The entire time, Itachi politely took what was given, did as he was told, and remained quiet, his eyes cast down with respect to the vampires they met at the entrance to the castle._

 _Locking away a great deal of his pride, the greatest strength and weakness of the Uchiha, Itachi walks two steps behind Kakashi at all times. He looked up only when the architecture of the courtyard and entrance hall required him to. And since entering the castle, he had not spoken a single word._

 _"Pretending to be mute is an interesting strategy and it may work for some, but not on Indra." Kakashi felt compelled to warn him as he leads the boy straight to their Lord. "Master Indra, I have brought the boy." He bowed with a flourish as his lordship had always been amused by such things._

 _Itachi kneels, pressing his hands to the floor, and his forehead to his fingers. "Your Lordship...I am Itachi Uchiha. I apologize for not heeding your earlier summons."_

 _Indra looked at him with interest. "I'm well aware that likely wasn't your doing." Exceptional, of course. As he knew he would be. "I bear no grudge towards your father. Were I human and I had a son with your gifts, I wouldn't desire to send you away either. Though I trust in the long run once the sentimentality has worn off, you'll see that they gave you a boon by not keeping you from your destiny." Whatever that would be. It was hard to tell how a boy would react to this environment, especially one just on the cusp of manhood. Caught somewhere between a child and an adult. An interesting time indeed._

 _Slowly, Itachi sits up, but remains kneeling on the floor with his gaze cast down, ready to receive instructions. "Is there anything you would have me do, My Lord?"_

 _"For now, I shall have Kakashi take you to your quarters and we will dine together at supper tomorrow." He smiled. "It's been a long carriage ride and a traumatic few days for a mortal such as yourself, you'll require rest before we decide what you would be best suited for."_

 _"As you wish, My Lord." Itachi bows once more, then rises gracefully to his feet, turning to follow Kakashi out of Indra's throne room._

 _Kakashi lead him off to his private quarters. They were surprisingly luxurious. If nothing else, Indra clearly had bigger plans for Itachi than to turn him into his next meal. "This will be your room from now on."_

 _"I see." Itachi surveys the room apathetically, toeing off his shoes as he steps further inside. They could have put him in the cellar, and he wouldn't have cared. "Thank you for guiding me here."_

 _As the door behind him closes, the boy climbs into the large bed, pulling the soft sheets over himself and disappearing into them. Slowly, a soft weeping fills the air and the child's quiet, heartbroken sobs are carried away on the breeze through the open window._

* * *

Red eyes flash as steel sword is returned to its sheath, before fading back to a shimmering, smoky onyx. Ten years it had been, and the boy who had once come here was now a man. A favourite of Lord Indra's, he enjoyed many a private privilege in the castle. But only in the castle, which had been his sole home in the time since he first set foot inside the gates.

And as per the usual, Itachi could feel a familiar pair of eyes on him as he put away his gleaming sword. "You know, Kakashi, if you wished to spar, you could have simply said so instead of watching me."

"I enjoy watching your progress." Kakashi chuckles as he turns a page in the book he was reading. "Besides, I'm afraid that I don't have time today. Our Lord wants me to make certain everyone is prepared for Lord Nagato's arrival." Which of course probably meant the other vampire lord was likely already in the castle because Kakashi couldn't be on time to save his life.

Itachi rolls his eyes at the lazy vampire. "I suppose then that it is lucky that I have nothing to prepare save for myself." And that was only if Lord Indra should call for him. Which was more likely than not. After all, Lord Indra did like to show off his magically talented human 'son' to his guests. He glances up to the parapets, where Indra occasionally liked to watch his practice from. And perhaps not so surprisingly, he found intense red eyes staring at him, coupled with an approving smile.

"That's him." Indra nodded at Nagato and Kisame. "Itachi. He's come along magnificently in the past few years. I plan to have him turned soon." On his twenty-fifth birthday most likely. Though the vampire lord knew there was a chance that he'd eventually indulge his whim and turn the 'boy' earlier.

"Yes, he's certainly an interesting one." Deep lavender eyes roam over the young man in the courtyard, a single eyebrow rising as the human bows respectfully before returning his attention to the silver-haired vampire. "Observant and respectful. You have trained him well."

"Pretty too." Kisame laughs as he watches the fight. "That's something you usually don't see. Most of the time either someone's a fighter or a looker." It was hard to believe that a human could go toe to toe with that many vampires. "If he's already holding his own against that many vampires as a mortal, he's going to be a firecracker once he gets his fangs."

"Oh yes, he can certainly be a little firecracker when sufficiently riled." Indra smirks smugly. "He proved as much his second night here at dinner. It was quite the show that he put on for us and most amusing to watch. True, he was only thirteen at the time, and none expected him to defeat a vampire ten times his age, but he lasted far longer than even I expected."

That shocks Kisame even more. "He survived?" Even with Indra's help, the demon would have expected Itachi's throat to have been torn out before the vampire lord could intervene.

Lavender eyes roll. "'Clearly, Kisame." Though Nagato would indeed admit to being intrigued. It was no ordinary human who could fend off a vampire, and certainly not one over a century old. There was only one explanation. "He is magically gifted, then?" It was the only way a human might have survived long enough, child or not, against a vampire.

Indra smirked at that and nodded. Yes, Itachi was gifted in so many ways, but magic was indeed one of them. It was one of the first things that had caught the vampire lord's eye about him. "Yes, he is." Very gifted, Indra thinks to himself as he watches the remnants of the battle below. "He's an Uchiha. From my line...many generations removed, of course."

"Of course." Nagato surveys the damage of the battle, noting that the five vampires with whom the young man had been sparring were none too pleased about being bested at swordplay. He possessed a fluid and elegant style, though with no shortage of power and sudden agility. "He is impressive. Had I not known better, I would have suspected him of already having been turned."

Indra laughs softly at that and nods. "I've considered turning him before my original decision, but so far I've resisted the impulse." Barely.

Well, Kisame could understand Indra's fascination now. It was like watching a baby shark learn how to hunt or something. Kisame just hadn't decided what kind of shark Itachi was. Maybe a dolphin was more accurate though. He wasn't going for the throat, but the human wasn't playing around either. Dolphins were like that.

The human looks up to them once more, eyes flashing red for a brief moment, before turning away and accompanying the silver-haired vampire back inside and out of sight. Nagato could certainly see that the quality of this human was very high, higher than he had seen in a very long time. "Will he be joining us for dinner tonight?"

"If you wish it." Indra nods. "He normally dines alone or with me for safety reasons, but I can hardly begrudge you your curiosity."

"I must confess myself to be rather curious about the boy." It was not often that a human caught Indra's eye, and Nagato found the possibilities surrounding this boy's power rather intriguing. "What do you perceive as his level of intelligence?"

Indra smiles at that as he looks down at Itachi. "Exceptionally so, but he tends to be a bit...reserved at first." He shakes his head. "He got it into his head that vampires tend to react better if you speak only when spoken to and keep your head down short of battles." He glances at Kisame. "Most likely intelligent enough not to ask why your skin is blue which is rare for a mortal."

Nagato's lips curl at the mention of a great source of his favourite bodyguard's ire. It often irritated the man if the first thing out of a human's mouth was a question as to why his skin was blue. "I see, observant and prudent. It has likely kept him alive longer than his pride would." After all, there was nothing that would get you killed faster than insulting a vampire, especially if you were human.

It wasn't the question itself that was annoying. Kisame was hardly shy. It was more so that everyone kept asking it. It got old after awhile. "Sounds like it." He ignores the gentle ribbing. "Can't wait to meet him."

"Then I will have my table set for four." Were this a regular dinner request, Indra would allow the entire court to attend. But after the first rather too interesting dinner that Itachi attended, having his human attend court dinners were occasions that were few and far between.

"Very good." Nagato glances at Kisame, whom he noted had even more growing interest in the human boy. "I will be retiring to the guest chambers after dinner. If you would like to indulge in some after-dinner exercise or entertainment, you may do so." He trusted that Kisame wouldn't become carried away and do something to offend their host.

"Sounds perfect." Kisame smirks as he looks around the beautiful castle. "I can't wait to explore and don't worry, I'm not planning on destroying the place." This was especially the case when he had a pretty little future vampire to entertain himself with.


	2. Chapter 2

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 2

Later that evening, Kakashi knocks on Itachi's door. The poor human was going to have quite the interesting dinner to say the least. Dining with Indra, Nagato, and Kisame was never a boring affair.

The large oak door opens, revealing a lavishly decorated chamber filled with red silks and black velvet, matching well with the young human who answers the door, dark eyes watching warily. "Kakashi?"

"Good evening, our Lord has requested that you dine with him and his companions for this evening." They both knew that it wasn't actually a request, but Kakashi thought it was polite to pretend otherwise.

Dark eyes widen slightly, but Itachi nods nonetheless. "Give me a few moments to make myself presentable."

He nods in understanding. It was important to look one's best for a request such as this. So Kakashi didn't mind waiting.

Itachi retreated into his room for a few minutes, reemerging shortly, dressed in black silk tunic with a high collar that wrapped snugly around his throat, matching pants, a dark, hard leather jerkin laced up with magic, and black leather boots. He'd braided his hair back from the top of his head, tying it into a long tail at the base of his neck. His entire appearance spoke of refinement, but there were subtle clues here and there that he was not one of the court feeders to be whored out to whom ever thought he looked tasty. He was not to be bitten. He was not to be touched.

"I must say that you do clean up nicely." Kakashi winks at him.

Dark eyes roll at the playful flirtation. "I do value my neck, you know." Even if Itachi was here as a hostage to protect his clan, he wasn't looking to end his life more quickly than necessary. "So unless you plan to ravish me in the corridor and claim that as my excuse for being late to dinner, I suggest we be off."

"You're a bit young for my tastes and I tend to prefer the fairer sex." Kakashi chuckles as he leads Itachi off. "Though I'm glad to see you've gotten over your shock of the idea two men or two women can be together." It had been comical to see the young man's initial reaction when he realized just how diverse sexuality could truly be.

And that lesson had been a very long time ago, five years by Itachi's reckoning. "Yes, I learned as much the night I ran to your chambers and clumsily tried to seduce you into taking my innocence." It was a time when he had been young and foolish and reckless, and was growing fearful of just what some of the court vampires were thinking as their eyes roamed over him. Some believed that an innocent's blood tasted sweeter, while others believed the taste was enhanced during arousal. Itachi had been looking to curb their interest in him, only to be gently turned down that night.

He smiles at him. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I did consider it." Kakashi opens the door for him as he gazes at Itachi with affection. "Those eyelashes are quite appealing, but it's just not the same. Were you a woman though, I would have gladly indulged you."

Itachi shrugs. "I discovered in the morning that the rumor was enough to grant me some protection after spending the night in your chambers." Spending the night as in sleeping in the vampire's bed while Kakashi watched over him and read one of his many books. It wasn't quite the night that the rumours made it out to be, but Itachi did notice that he got less probing glances after that.

Kakashi mutters something about a fast learner. The boy would be alright. He was clever. Though the silver haired vampire couldn't lie, even he would have been a bit nervous about dining with that guest list.

Face to face with said dinner, however, Itachi steps into the room, immediately recognizing a place set out for him at Indra's side, directly opposite the large blue man accompanying the other member of the vampire nobility. He approaches the table and bows respectfully to both the two vampires as well as the demon in attendance. "My Lords, Sir."

Indra smiles at Itachi. "There's no need to be so formal, especially with Kisame present." Such formalities wouldn't last long with him at their table. "This is Lord Nagato and his bodyguard, Kisame. Kisame is a water demon." He knew that Itachi wouldn't ask outright himself. So he'd save the boy the wondering. "More specifically, a shark demon."

Itachi bows once more before taking his place at the table, and Nagato notes that not once did the boy lift his eyes to meet theirs. An ethereal beauty, to be sure, but there was something vaguely sad about this human. He was so silent as he sat down to his plate, that it was almost as though they had been joined by a ghost.

"I'd ask if you got hurt, but I watched the fight." Kisame grins at him before taking a bite of his meal and swallowing quickly. "You didn't get a mark on you. So what is it? Shark got your tongue?"

"...No." Itachi takes a bite of his own food, a spoonful of winter squash soup trickling down his throat.

Indra shakes his head. "You don't need to be afraid of his teeth." He smirks. "You're not foolish enough to attack Nagato, so he's no threat to you."

Itachi glances up slightly, noting the shark-like teeth ringing Kisame's mouth. They were intimidating, certainly, but Itachi had spent almost half his life surrounded by vampires. He merely blinks, before returning his attention to his food. "I'm not afraid of his teeth."

"Ah ha!" Kisame grins at him as though positively delighted about something. "So you can speak more than one word at a time."

A silver spoon returns to the table as Itachi finally looks up, a hint of irritation in his gaze. "I can, however I generally choose not to."

Nagato raises an eyebrow, lightly amused by the change in the human's demeanour. So it truly was prudence and not shyness holding his tongue. He simply wanted to avoid having his throat ripped out. "Kisame, play nicely with this human."

"I am playing nicely." Kisame scoffs as he bites into his steak again with more gusto before swallowing. "It's just the dolphin is getting testy with me for some reason. Shame really." He would have liked to have some fun with that one. He seemed so broken somehow and yet, now he looked irritated enough that Kisame was half certain Itachi might actually be foolish enough to attack him, if he continued to taunt him just right.

"Dolphin?" Itachi raises an eyebrow, unsure as to whether that was meant to be an insult, compliment, or some sort of inside joke. It pricked at his pride nonetheless, though he tamps it down along with his irritation and remains calm, composed.

"I'm a shark demon." Kisame shrugs. "You remind me more of a dolphin though."

Itachi blinks, then his face goes completely blank. "I see."

"Yes, dolphins are fast, smart, beautiful, everyone loves them, and they're insane enough to have a go at sharks and killer whales." He chuckles. "They don't think twice about charging at an animal twice their size."

For the first time since the arrival of Indra's guests, Itachi smirks. "And here I expected flawed and nonsensical reasoning. However, insanity is simply genius that others fail to understand." He picks up his silver fork and spears a number of chunks of roasted potato, bringing them to his lips.

Ah that was better. He had some life in him now. Kisame probably shouldn't, but he couldn't resist. "They're also the nymphomaniacs of the animal world." He chuckles.

Immediately, a chocked cough erupts in the middle of the dining room, and a pair of glowing red eyes glare across the table as Itachi forces down the half piece of potato. "...And what point exactly are you trying to make?"

Nagato sits back in amusement, observing Indra's ward and his own bodyguard. Truly, it was much easier to allow Kisame to do the conversing. And it seemed that the young human had decided that neither of them were going to try and kill him, because he was truly becoming far less reserved.

"Oh I was just listing the various attributes of dolphins and why you remind me of them." He smiles as he takes a hearty gulp of his wine.

Nagato chuckles softly and shakes his head. "Forgive Kisame. He has quite a tongue on him and often speaks before he thinks."

The shark demon huffs a bit at the unfair description. He always thought before he spoke, it was just that he usually didn't give a damn what people thought about him speaking his mind. Sharks were at the top of the food chain. The opinions of guppies were of no real consequence to him. "Pft. My not thinking arse has saved Lord Nagato's backside more than once."

While Itachi doesn't seem entirely placated, his eyes lose their red glow, returning to the calm, fathomless darkness they were before. So Nagato takes that as his cue to continue. "Now, Indra tells me that you are a gifted human, and that you suffered quite the interesting introduction to his court when you were a child."

Itachi nods solemnly. That was one way to put it. "It was certainly...unforgettable." And though he did not remember the day fondly himself, at the very least, he proved himself not to be the pushover he pretended to be. Not when it came to holding his own against vampires.

Kisame shakes his head and smiles at Itachi. "Well, it looks as though you survived the encounter in one piece, but who was dumb enough to attack our cute little dolphin?"

It had happened ten years ago, but Itachi remembered it like it was yesterday. "A dumb vampire by the name of Hidan, with a foul mouth and a worse sense of humor."

* * *

 _A small child with his eyes locked on the floor follows the silver-haired vampire from his room, having barely slept more than a few hours since arriving. He had been told to rest, but sleep often refused to come. He had simply lain in bed, hoping in vain that he would feel more rested by the next day, catching tiny bursts of sleep here and there when his body was too exhausted to remain alert._

 _Itachi had been offered luxurious clothes to wear, made of silks, satins, and velvet. But rather than accept the gifts, he simply washed his own clothes in his private bathing room, dried them in the window, and then replaced the simple black clothes on his body. The less reasons others had to be incensed with him, the longer he would live._

 _Finally, in a soft, tiny voice, Itachi dares to speak. "...What does it mean for His Lordship to have me present for dinner?"_

 _"It means he favors you." Kakashi smiles at Itachi, seeing no real reason to lie to the boy about something obvious. "If you're wise, you'll use that to your advantage."_

 _It was good advice, and so long as Itachi could survive dinner with a vampire, maybe he would have a chance to put that advice into practice. "...Thank you."_

 _"You're welcome." He pauses. "The only drawback is the power climbers may not be pleased to see a human favored so, but Lord Indra wouldn't allow them to harm you. Just try not to be alone with them." His advice delivered, he escorts Itachi to dinner._

 _When the doors to the dining hall open and Itachi steps inside behind Kakashi, his eyes widen. Two dozen people sat at the tables spread out along the walls of the room. And Itachi could see more than a few fangs. He looked around for a place to sit, finding no small table set aside for him and away from the vampires, only an empty place to Indra's left. He swallows nervously, understanding now just what Kakashi meant. Indra was showing him favour by keeping him close._

 _Part of him was frozen in fear of what this might mean. Another part wanted to grab onto Kakashi and beg to be taken home. But...that was no longer his decision to make, and he stays silent as he approaches the head table with Kakashi._

 _"Come and sit." Indra smiles at him. "There is human food to eat in addition to blood." The boy wasn't wearing the clothing he had given him, but he'd overlook that. Bringing attention to that fact would only make him stick out in a way Indra didn't wish for him to._

 _"Yes, Sire. Thank you." Itachi nods and moves with silent footsteps around the table to sit beside the ancient vampire. Blood, there was blood being served at the table. Likely human blood. Was that why he was here? Did they want to get a taste of the human child?_

 _"It was kind of you to bring a feeder directly to us." Hidan smirks at Indra. "My Lord."_

 _Indra shakes his head and sighs as though he was a parent dealing with a naughty child. "This is Itachi and you are not to drink from him without both of our permission." He raises an eyebrow. "I've decided to keep him as my ward for the moment and when he is old enough in my estimation I will turn him, assuming he continues to prove himself worthy."_

 _Itachi's blood runs cold as the whispers begin flying about the room. Perhaps Indra had no intention of whoring him out to these vampires, but there was definitely interest in him. So he swallows down his nerves and picks at the foot on his plate, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. "I will do my best, Sire."_

 _"I'm certain you will." Indra nods, though a vampire with pink eyes and silvery gray hair growls in annoyance. "Is there something you should like to say, Hidan?"_

 _"Damn right, there is." He gestures towards Itachi. "He's a human. Hell, he's not even a man and yet he's sitting by your side as if he's somehow earned that fucking privilege? Have you finally lost your fucking mind?"_

 _The little hairs on the back of Itachi's neck stand up. Everything inside him was screaming danger in the face of this enraged vampire. Magic tingled like tiny sparks in his veins, like schools of tiny fish just beneath the surface of a calm sea._

 _"Hidan, you will bite your tongue." Indra's eyes flash in a warning. "Or I shall remove it for you."_

 _The other vampire was too far gone though as lunges at Itachi. "I'll prove that there is no point in showing affection to a fly. He'll die before supper is over." His speed was incredible as he begins his attack._

 _The vampire's hands were an inch from Itachi's neck when he exploded into a tangle of pitch black feathers and flapping wings. The murder of crows squawk and caw angrily as Hidan's hands pull out a few stray feathers instead of closing around a pale neck._

 _"Now, you see why I chose him." Indra smirks, deciding to observe for a moment more._

 _Next to Kakashi's place further down the hall, before the eyes of all the observers, the flying crows swirl about and congregate, melding back together as a shadow emerges from the floor. As it solidifies and becomes human once more, a pair of glowing crimson eyes glare at Hidan with all of the fury of a raging fire. "Yes, I am human. But that excuse does you no credit if that's your reason for picking a fight completely unprovoked."_

 _"Sneaky brat." Hidan snarls as he charges at him once more. "I'll show you your place!" Fast and strong as all vampires were, but Hidan was in a category all his own. Otherwise he wouldn't have been a member of Indra's court in the first place._

 _Itachi jumps back, sneaking Kakashi's sword away from him as he funnels magic to the two ends of his body. His feet hit the wall just above the doors, sticking there as he roars like a dragon, spewing a giant plume of fire from his mouth, filling up the entire middle of the dining hall._

 _"Just think, he's only thirteen summers old." Indra laughs and claps. "Imagine what he'll be capable of in a few years."_

 _Hidan was considerably less pleased though as he barely evades the flames. He swears like a sailor as he glares at Itachi._

 _Itachi springs off the wall and plunges into the flames as Hidan comes flying at him from a new angle, creating a new path through them and closing it behind him as he races across the room. He needed to find a safe spot, somewhere he could fight from where the vampire couldn't reach him. As long as he could do that_

 _That plan was scuppered the moment a chain tangled around his ankles and he slammed against the ground with something twice his weight on top of him. His forehead smacks against the stone floor, drawing blood, and as he moves to push himself up, a hand roughly grabs the back of his hair, pushing his face into the dusty, bloody floor._

 _Hidan smirks as he takes out his scythe. He'd end this stupid brat before he got any bright ideas about being an equal to vampires._

 _Itachi's eyes flash with an angry light, even as the blade of the scythe slides under his throat. But if he was going out, he sure as hell wasn't going out without a fight. He spins Kakashi's blade around in his hand and slashes back up towards Hidan's heart. Maybe he couldn't kill the vampire, but he could make his death hurt the man a while._

 _Hidan wisely jerks off Itachi when he sees where the man was aiming and that's when Indra moves. Faster than the eye could see, the ancient vampire sends him flying into the wall with a loud thud. "Do not ever question my judgement again."_

 _Glancing back over his shoulder, Itachi barely sees the back of Hidan as the vampire disappears out the door, leaving a small trail of blood in his wake. The sword in his hand clatters to the floor as he breathes hard, his vision fuzzy and his head throbbing as it oozed blood._

 _"It won't turn you at the moment, but if you drink my blood you will feel better." Indra sinks his fangs into his arm and offers it to Itachi._

 _Hazily, Itachi registers that drinking blood is disgusting and something no human in their right mind did. Nevertheless, he raises his head and drinks a few drops, the bleeding beginning to subside, even if the pain didn't. The last thing he remembered was the cool strength of Indra's arms as his world was enveloped in darkness._

* * *

 _When Itachi finally stirred back to consciousness, he saw a familiar head of silver hair sitting by his bedside. "...Kakashi?"_

 _"You're alright." He nods. "Lord Indra gave you some of his blood and yes, you're still human." The silver haired vampire laughs softly. "Hidan will have quite the bruise for a few days even with our accelerated healing, though I doubt he'll be foolish enough to bother you again. You put on quite the show."_

 _Itachi nods slightly, regretting it instantly as a lance of pain shot through his head. "...I feel as though I've cracked by skull."_

 _"Oh well Hidan had quite the go at you, but no permanent damage was done." Kakashi nods at him reassuringly._

 _"...Good." Though Itachi still had a role of questions and no answers. He also had a splitting headache and would kill for one of his mother's pain relief poultices. "So what happens now?"_

 _It was a good question. "You do you're best to keep his favor and take it day by day." He shrugs. "I wish I could tell you something more profound than that, but it worked well enough for me. It may do the same for you."_

 _He would have nodded his assent, but Itachi's head continued its protests. "...I apologize for stealing your sword."_

 _"That's alright." He smirks. "At least you put it to good use."_

 _That he had._

* * *

Itachi smiles self-deprecatingly. "Leave it to my thirteen year-old self to take on a vampire and hope to win." He had been so reckless and so foolish. "Perhaps I could have ended it more quickly had I hidden behind Lord Indra, but I opted to let my pride and vanity get the better of me, and put too much stock in my magical skills at the time. I would have met my end that night, if not for Hidan's cowardice. It was one of two lessons I taught myself that night about letting my pride get the better of me."

Indra shakes his head. "There's nothing wrong with pride." It seemed that Itachi was insistent on taking the opposite lesson that the vampire had hoped from that night. "Your pride saved you. Without it, he would have killed you because you would have tried to dodge or appeal to his merciful side. Pride is fine, if used as a tool." He snorts. "As is the case with Hidan, he just used his pride foolishly. That's all."

With a soft huff and roll of his eyes, Itachi shoots a scathing glare at his master. "In the long run, yes, pride can be a useful tool. But at the time, it was dangerous to let it push me into a fight that I was ill-equipped and untrained for." His pointed glare intensifies, hints of red flashing in black depths. "What I am capable of now is certainly a different story to my skills a decade ago, as you no doubt saw while you were spying on me in the courtyard." Now, he could fight toe to toe with many a vampire with both swords and magic. He was NOT the same child who first arrived ten years ago and feared the shadows in every corner.

"Itachi, it is not spying if you're doing something out in the open where anyone could see it." He didn't really know how to respond to this sudden burst of anger. "Spying implies more effort than that generally. In any case, I suppose what's passed is passed."

Was he angry with his younger self's recklessness? It was possibility. There was also the chance that Kisame's playful banter could have ruffled Itachi's feathers, but Indra didn't think of his ward as that easily vexed. So he decides on the former until proven otherwise as he pours himself another glass of blood.

"If it's not spying, then you could simply come down and watch with Kakashi..." Itachi shakes his head as he goes for his own glass, filled with wine, rather than blood.

After hearing that story, though, Nagato found himself rather intrigued. "I take it that your partial defeat by Hidan was the first lesson. And the second?"

Itachi shoots the red-headed vampire a side glance and replaces his cup. "Self-imposed until I could be sure that my...vanity wouldn't get in the way of a victory." He brushes his long ponytail over his shoulder, twirling the end around his fingers. "I lifted the restriction five years ago when I was finally satisfied with my complete control over my immediate surroundings in a battle, pride or not." And now, neither were an issue. "Save for particularly powerful opponents, I have no more trepidation concerning the outcome of a battle." He glances at Kisame. "Though I don't count simple training battles like the one you witnessed earlier."

"I've never seen someone got through three or four personalities in one dinner before." Kisame smirks before quickly devouring his steak. "Though I'd be interested to see what you're fully capable of. Someone who transforms from a meek mouse, into a dolphin, whatever else was between, and this latest incarnation must have some impressive tricks up their sleeve."

Itachi twitches. "The 'mouse' as you put it is a defensive mechanism, I still don't understand why you insist on the dolphin analogy, though I must admit that you are the provocation for this latest one." Itachi was normally far more well-spoken, though admittedly still quiet. But this demon seemed to enjoy pulling on his hair, metaphorically anyway, and it was irritating, to put it mildly.

Indra's lips twitch. He debates for a moment. Was it worth it to join in the fun or not? ...Yes, yes it was. "I believe he already explained his reasoning and it's all sound. Save for perhaps the last one. I've never known you to express much of an interest in anyone in that fashion. Though I am of course, aware of the occasional rumor." He looks at Itachi sympathetically before glancing at Nagato. "One can't live at court without having a few rumors flying around about them no matter how impeccable one's behavior is." Honestly, it was depressingly so. The boy was twenty-three summers and unless Indra had sincerely missed something, he was still a complete innocent. That did confuse him since Kakashi was so fond of the boy...one would think at least some of his deviancy would have rubbed off on him.

It wasn't that Indra wished for Itachi to become a lecher, but still. "Unless you have found someone who holds your attention and I am as of yet unaware of it?" He smiles at Itachi. "It's alright to indulge yourself. I won't be upset if you find someone precious to you or even someone that just...occupies your time in a pleasant fashion."

Itachi's expression flattens in an instant and he stands, stepping away from the table and his empty plate. "I assume that I've entertained you enough for one evening?"

Kisame shakes his head as he stands and smile at Itachi. "I might have gone a little overboard." he chuckles. "I blame those pretty eyes of yours, but let me make it up to you. I'll let you play with my big sword." He smirks. "Biggest sword in the castle, I assure you." The shark demon knew exactly what Itachi was thinking now and that the other man would probably try to smack him soon, so he clarifies by pulling out his actual sword. "This is the Samehada and it's magical."

The battlemage stares blankly at the giant...thing that was apparently some sort of sword. "I see that you've something you feel the need to compensate for." Honestly, what sort of warrior required a sword THAT large? His eyes swirl red, gleaming wickedly. "And you should know...I can set you aflame with these 'pretty eyes' of mine."

"You're a vicious little dolphin, but if you want to see the other sword to be proven wrong, all you need to do is ask." He chuckles.

Red eyes narrow, and from a bright flash of fire, a murder of crows erupts, flying for the window. The glass panes open in a powerful gust of wind and the cawing birds race outside, disappearing into the dark night sky.

Nagato takes another sip from his glass of wine. "It seems that went rather well." No one had gotten incinerated, at the very least.

Kisame blinks as he watches Itachi fly off. "Does he always change personalities that swiftly?" Honestly...


	3. Chapter 3

Thicker Than Water

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** And now, we welcome the younger brother to the scene...

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 3

It was a strange contradiction. Every single day, Sasuke knew he was stronger than an ox and he had far more energy than he had ever had a human, but there was one important trade off. His throat constantly felt as though it was on fire if he didn't drink enough blood.

The thought should have disgusted him, but now he dreams of blood in the way that a human might desire a fine wine, but more. Enough so that he would have killed for it, were it not for his kindly Sire and her brother Kankuro.

"I'm spoiled." He chuckles at the thought. "Horribly so." It was ironic that the blonde had turned him, hoping to gain a lover out of the bargain, but now seemed happy enough to play the role of his new mother or sister. Whichever role she had decided to take seemed to vary by the day.

"There he is." Sasuke smirks as he watches a carriage pull up via his bedchamber's window. "So that's Gaara." The mysterious second brother that Temari spoke with equal parts awe and terror. Apparently, he had been a 'Ripper' and was only now gaining control over his desire for blood, more than a century after being turned.

From the carriage steps a young man dressed in black and maroon, with blood red hair and a scarlet tattoo above his left eye. Utterly silent, he approaches the steps to the large estate. He pauses at the base of the steps and looks up, his bright eyes fixing a stare on the one looking out his bedroom window. There was no question that he saw the stranger in his family's home. But he lowers his gaze and turns away, walking up the steps and in through the front door.

He wasn't alone for long though. Temari dashes over to her brother. "Gaara, it's so good to see you." Sasuke's control was exceptional for a vampire who had been turned only a few months ago, but it never hurt to have an extra pair of hands on hand. "You will be nice to him, right?" By nice, she could only hope that the thrill of being a newly turned vampire didn't make Sasuke more aggressive than he should be and wouldn't clash with her younger brother's, hopefully, former Ripper tendancies.

Gaara blinks slowly, taking in the fresh scent of blood in the air. The newborn must have fed recently. "I will be appropriate. If he requires a show of force to make him behave, I will indulge him." And if that meant putting him on the floor until he discovered how to control himself, then Gaara would help him in doing just that.

Kankuro laughs as he shakes his head and approaches the two of them. Undoubtedly, he had overheard the entire conversation. "That's about as friendly as Gaara ever gets." He smiles. "We should all go upstairs together. Let him see Temari and me first. Some newborns get spooked when it comes to meeting unfamiliar vampires."

Somehow, Gaara doubted that the newborn would be spooked by him. After all, he was the one spying on arriving family members from his bedroom window. Still, if his siblings insisted, he would allow the to see their babe first. "Very well."

Temari nods as she leads him up the stairs. It was smart to have the newborn there. Otherwise he might have tried to bolt out the front door in the way newborns did. "Sasuke." She knocks on the door. "Kankuro and I are here and we brought someone to meet you. Remember, I told you that my other brother would be returning soon?"

"Come in." Sasuke opens the door and steps to the side. The tales Temari told him about the red head were fascinating. "It's alright." Gaara had been a Ripper. Despite his relatively young age, Sasuke knew that he could go toe to toe with vampires considerably older than him. In other words, he was exactly the kind of vampire Sasuke needed, if he was going to be granted permission to enter Indra's castle.

The redhead steps into the room behind his sister, his eyes falling on the young man before him. He looked no older than Gaara had been when he was turned. Pale skin stretched over toned muscles that could be trouble if he decided to bolt. but his posture and expression spoke almost of...an eager welcome. Despite hearing of Gaara's reputation, this boy with the bafflingly spiky raven hair and an exceedingly beautiful face seemed almost happy to see him here.

Temari had mentioned that Gaara was a red head, but not that his hair was the color of blood. It would have been striking if Sasuke had still been human, but now staring at it made him feel hungry. Well more specifically thirsty, but those eyes were other worldly. Seafoam green and they didn't appear to have any eyebrows. Though it was the fact Gaara's build reminded him of a leopard and those eyes screamed predator that made Sasuke happiest.

How he was going to convince the vampire to help him into Indra's court, he didn't know. "Sasuke Uchiha." He extends his hand. "Gaara, right?" The raven haired vampire just knew that he would because he had to. Itachi had simply abandoned him all those years ago and one way or another, Sasuke was going to make his brother regret that decision.

Gaara evaluates this Sasuke a moment more, before gasping the offered hand firmly. "Yes, I am Gaara Sabaku." And now, he could see why this being seemingly made of moonlight and shadows had so disappointed Temari when it became apparent that he would not be her lover.

Temari lets out the breath she had been holding. Not that she needed to breathe, but old habits died hard. It looked like they were going to get along well enough. Now, she just had to hope that Sasuke didn't intentionally or unintentionally provoke her brother.

"I'm glad I finally got the chance to meet you." Sasuke glances at the other Sabaku Siblings with amusement. "According to them, you could move mountains if you wanted." Flattery was something that worked on most humans and even better on other vampires, but in Gaara's case, Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if Gaara could actually do it. He was radiating a quiet and barely suppressed power that had the hairs on the back of Sasuke's neck standing up and fire racing through his blood.

It wasn't from fear though. Sasuke vaguely recognizes the sensation of arousal. It wasn't a feeling he got often, but he'd never expected to have a reaction to a man like that. He pushes the thought to the side though. It was probably just a reaction to his blood red hair stimulating his hunger or the power coming off him in waves. That was all.

The old red-headed vampire crosses his arms and raises a hairless brow. "Is that so?" It seemed that his siblings were still in the habit of telling tall tales about him. "I can't say that I've ever tried to prove the matter one way or another." But what he could definitely tell was that there was a hint of arousal to Sasuke's scent and traces of it in his eyes, whether he was aware of it or not. Though Gaara was yet unsure as to whether Sasuke wanted to jump him for sexual reasons, or if there was another reason that the newborn was looking at him like he wanted to play pounce and wrestle to the ground. He looked hungry.

"Gaara, will you come with me to get Sasuke some blood?" Temari must have sensed something was amiss and didn't want to say what in front of her newborn.

"Of course." Gaara nods, casting a side glance at Sasuke as he turns towards the door. "...It has been interesting to meet you, Sasuke."

He nods at Gaara, but Kankuro smiles at them. "Don't worry. I'll look after him while you two get the blood." Well, that was one less thing to worry about.

Temari leads Gaara downstairs to the kitchen. "I'm sorry about that." She rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Though I suppose that does explain why he didn't respond to my advances. Perhaps he just prefers the company of his own gender." She hadn't seen Sasuke make advances towards another man or receive them before though. Maybe his thirst for blood and the scent of desire were just that similar in Sasuke. An interesting matter to ponder, Temari muses.

"Perhaps." Though Gaara wasn't entirely certain if it was merely that simple. Without proof though, there was no point in learning Temari. "He is young, but certainly pleasing to look at and quite energetic. I can see why you pursued him briefly."

She laughs softly and shakes her head. "Yes, I had high hopes for him." Temari still did. "Still, lover or not, I'm certain he'll prove his worth. He's already got exceptional control over his bloodlust for one so young and he is attentive towards his vampire culture lessons."

"Good." He would have asked why she called him here, if not to deal with an out of control newborn lost in a bloodthirsty rage, but he supposed that there was still some time before problems might show. His didn't appear immediately, after all. "I believe that your babe is waiting for blood?"

"Right." She nods and gets a generous amount of blood. "I have some concerns about him. He's fine as long as he doesn't see blood he can't get like most vampires, but he's very interested in court life. You'll see what I mean soon enough."

"Court life?" Now that certainly had Gaara raising a non-existent eyebrow. Court life was nothing to take lightly, and Gaara could hardly understand why any vampire would enjoy living in such a den of vipers, where one wrong step might spell certain doom.

She bites her lower lip. "I don't want to pry too much, but he wanted to be changed into a vampire originally because his brother is one." The blonde pauses for a moment. "I assume he lives in Indra's court and that is the reason for Sasuke's fascination."

"I see." Gaara nods slowly, understanding blossoming. If his brother had been turned, then it would make sense that if they were close, Sasuke might want to join his brother in immortality. But courts were viper dens, and Indra was one of the greater Vampire Lords, if not the most powerful of the lot and this region was under his command. His castle was certainly not a place for a newborn vampire. Fortunately, his Ripper status had exempted Gaara from invitations to visit court for quite some time. "You worry that his fascination might get him hurt?"

"It might." Temari sighs and shakes her head. "He's still so young that I doubt he'd get invited for quite some time anyway, but there are more than physical ways to hurt someone. Who knows how the change has impacted his brother?"

That was true, Gaara knew that the change could have devastating effects better than most. He'd experienced it firsthand when the bloodlust took over and he left a trail of bodies in his wake. "Then would you prefer that I tell him or not when my summons inevitably comes?" Considering how long he had been gone, he expected that Indra would know of his return within days, and he would receive a summons within a month.

"I'd say it'd be better if he didn't know, but he'll find out." She bites her lower lip. "Sasuke is very...clever. He already figured out how to pick the lock to the bloodvault."

Gaara groans quietly. Clever newborns were the worst. Clever and curious and they could not be trusted to always be able to keep their temper or bloodlust in check. "Very well...I will inform him at a reasonable time and try to convince him to stay here." Not that he imagined he would be successful without some heavy intimidation tactics, not with someone who possessed that sort of eager glint in their eye.

"If he ends up following you somehow, just make certain Lord Indra is aware of his young age." She pauses. "He's not unreasonable. The man understands what newborns are like."

"Of course. Particularly as it seems he has a newborn of his own on his hands." Two newborn vampire siblings reuniting after apparently unite some time apart. At least long enough for Sasuke to be seeking his brother out. Perhaps this merited some more...delicate tactics than Gaara was used to using. "Then I suggest that you leave the two of us to talk so that I might glean a genuine insight into his personality and the likelihood of there being a risk to him should he come. As you know, he may act one way with you, and another with Kankuro, but he will likely not act the same with me." No one acted the same with him as they did his siblings, Gaara knew that much with exceptional clarity.

Temari considers it for a moment. She was afraid to leave them alone, but Gaara did have a point. "Very well." She nods. "I'll let you speak with him, but...don't stake him if he gets feisty."

Gaara rolls his eyes at the notion as they approach the door on the second floor. "I doubt that I would be forced to stake a newborn in order to subdue them. If he decides to get feisty with me, I will simply restrain him until he decides that the better choice is to behave himself."

Temari snorts at that. Well, if nothing else this entire affair should be endlessly entertaining. So she nods and heads to her room to give the privacy.

With the blood in hand, Gaara opens the door to Sasuke's room to see him and Kankuro playing some sort of...game on the floor? "...What are the two of you doing?"

Kankuro shakes his head. "Sasuke is teaching me how to play poker." He was losing badly. "Brat just won quite a bit of money off of me." Sasuke smirks in response.

Oh dear Vampire Lords... What had Gaara stepped in this time. "I see. Why don't you go and clean up your puppets, they are all over the dining room table again. I can oversee the babe's needs." Anything to prevent this carriage wreck from occurring.

Kankuro looks at Gaara gratefully before bounding off. Sure enough, Sasuke was quickly throwing some gold coins and even a couple gems into a pouch.

To his credit, Gaara doesn't bat an eye at the sum in the pouch. Though he did feel slightly baffled at just how they could have gone through enough rounds of this game for Kankuro to have lost gold and jewels. "...I see that you have kept my siblings quite busy for me these last few months." He places the bottle of blood and a wine glass on the nearest small table.

"You could say that." Sasuke smiles though his fangs were now protruding as he darts over to blood and quickly begins downing it. He might be controlled, but the bloodlust was still intense.

Gaara watches impassively, his own bloodlust now quite firmly under control. Besides, he had eaten in the morning, he needed nothing now. "You've also managed to have Temari complaining to me when I've only barely returned home."

"I'm not sure what she's complaining about." He pauses. "Other than picking that lock a few times, she normally praises me."

"Well, she did mention your propensity for picking that lock." Gaara found it equal parts worrying and amusing. "However her other complaint involves your reaction when I entered the room, versus how you react to her."

"And how does she think I reacted to you?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "I didn't treat you any differently than I did her." He had introduced himself and shaken Gaara's hand, but the thought that the red head might have caught his body's responses to him was...unsettling to say the least. "Well, I treated you more formally, but that's because you're a stranger. Temari is like family at this point." Maybe, he could bluff his way out of that though. It had only been for a few moments and it was possible Gaara might be convinced he had merely imagined it all.

Gaara deadpans. This newborn was...not as clever as Temari seemed to believe if he thought that he could bluff his way out of such an obvious respons. "I was referring more to the blatant scent of arousal that was no secret to anyone in this room." But perhaps that was a little too blunt. "For whatever reason, your reaction to me was more powerful than to either of my siblings, and it is that fact that disappoints her. She will get over it."

Sasuke cocks his head to the side as his lips form a unique expression. "Are you sure of that or was that just wishful thinking?" An unusual combination of a smile and a smirk that goes rather well with his face. Even more so when just a hint of his fangs become more visible.

Oh, this newborn was playing a rather dangerous game. Gaara moves to sit on the red velvet sofa on the other side of the table, sea foam eyes glittering darkly with amusement. "As I said, given that it was detectable to everyone in the room, I would suspect that it is hardly wishful thinking on my part. Particularly as my sister is the one who pulled me aside to speak of it." Which was mildly musing in and of itself. "Of course, I am aware that lust and bloodlust are closely entwined and it is possible that your reaction was to your association of my hair with the colour of blood, or a reaction to my power which is greater than that of my siblings, a primal attraction, hunger, or some combination thereof."

Had Sasuke still been human, he likely would have bolted or at least blushed. He wasn't though. This was either going to work extremely well or come back to haunt in the most horrific of ways. Still, he wasn't foolish enough to believe he could take back what he had just said.

"You can interpret it however you like then." Sasuke's smirk grows even more as his fangs gleam underneath the moonlight's reflection from the window. "Seeing as Temari enjoys indulging in such fanciful notions, perhaps it's something of a family trait?"

"I wouldn't let her catch you saying that. She can be rather frightful when angry." And in their early days of vampirism, Gaara had often been on the other end of Temari's temper. Then he'd developed his own...challenges, and it was his temper that all came to fear. Gaara shrugs. "Besides, I did provide a clause saying that the pull you feel might be several things other than attraction. However it is also entirely possible that it was not misinterpreted, and that you are simply in denial about wanting me to take you to bed and ravish you for the next fortnight."

It was a good thing his heart could no longer beat or Gaara would have known his smug facade was just a mask. That wouldn't have ended well for him. Bluffs could work on vampires, but failed bluffs were dangerous. "I believe you mistake me." He shakes his head. "I'm not insulting her. She's a romantic." Sasuke smiles at Gaara as if he actually had any clue what he was doing. "It's in her nature to play matchmaker. Though you seem more than willing to indulge her theories. Maybe I'm not the one that needs protection clauses." Had he really just said that?

The redhead smirks with unholy amusement. "And perhaps you underestimate me, for I am in need of no kinds of clauses merely for my own protection. However, with such defensiveness, one might think you were merely bashful. Tell me, then. Temari seems to believe you hold moe interest in men than in women. Do you believe so?"

Honestly, he hadn't really pondered the matter much. Women had never really interested Sasuke. At least not in that way, but the Uchiha had scarcely known men could be together in such a fashion until he became a vampire. Such things were completely taboo amongst most humans, but vampires did seem to adore breaking all human social conventions. "It's possible." This was particularly true when it came to intimacy. Vampires didn't bat an eyelash if two men or two women became lovers.

Interesting, the newborn wasn't bashful so much as distracted. Or perhaps uninterested might be the word. And Gaara had a theory as to why. "Is it because you are hesitant about your potential interest in male lovers because you are newly turned and were raised by humans and not vampires, or because you are interested in things other than lovers?" Gaara knew that this might be playing with fire, but best to break into this piece by piece and not waste time, lest the newborn think they were hiding information from him, and race off to do something foolish.

"It's more that I have more pressing concerns than who is going to warm my bed." Sasuke wasn't sure that it was a good thing that came out in such a haunty way, but who could really say if that was a good thing or a bad thing when it came to Gaara Sabaku? "I've never really considered the possibility of being with another man before becoming vampires. It just wouldn't have occurred to me. Humans are very strict about what they view as acceptable behavior..." He had always just assumed if he survived punishing Itachi, he'd eventually get married and have chidlren. That's what most men did unless they were lechers who could settle down, became priests, or died an early death. Why should he have been any different?

"In that case, I must confess to some curiosity." Time to throw out the hook and hope he took the bait. "Short of a simple interest in blood, which I doubt is the only thing on a mind clever enough to pick the locks Kankuro designed, what pressing concerns could a youngling such as yourself have?"

"I want to find my brother." If he was honest, maybe that would warm Gaara to him.

Gaara nods, he knew as much. "Looking for family is a worthwhile pursuit. I take it from your tone, then, that you either do not know where he resides, or he has been gone for some time. Perhaps both?"

"He lives in Indra's Castle." Sasuke crosses his arms. "Has for the past ten years. I knew my best chance of getting in there and living to tell the tale was to become a vampire. So that's what I did."

And now that was everything Gaara knew about the subject. "If he is your brother who resides in the castle, then why not send him a letter or request a visit?"

"You know that if I write a letter, he wouldn't be the only one who reads it." Which was true, but not Sasuke's only reason. "Even if he did read it, he'd probably ignore it. He likely still thinks I'm human." A fact that Sasuke fully intended to use to his advantage.

"I see. And because you believe that he would not respond to your letter, you wish to go and see him in person. To do that, you became a vampire. Now, all that remains is for you to find a way into the castle." Everything was clicking into place, including why Sasuke was being so forthright with him. "Which is where I would come in, I presume."

Sasuke nods. Gaara seemed to be going along with it. Maybe it would be easier than he thought. The red head was his best chance.

Well, now that nearly everything was out in the open, Gaara felt as though he could present this newborn with the chance he wanted. But first, a warning. "Court life is a miserable place for humans. If the age gap between you and your brother is not extremely significant, then I imagine he would have spent several years there before being turned. Humans in the court are often used as live feeders, as entertainment, pets..." And other...more unmentionable things. "It is entirely possible that your brother has been turned and is now a vampire. But I want to make it clear that not all humans survive the transition into court life. In fact, more often than not, they don't. Keep your goal in mind, but try not to set your expectations too high, else you will be the one left hurting."

"If he's dead, then there's nothing left to say on the matter and I'll accept it." Sasuke knew that Gaara was just trying to spare him potential heartbreak. "You don't know him though. He would have survived somehow. I bet my heartbeat on it." He smirks as he shows his fangs. "And as you can see from my game of poker with Kankuro, I don't normally lose my bets."

"Very well, if you are so confident..." Gaara sighs, looking out the window to where the moon is now rising high into the sky. "Indra will know of my return soon, I'll wager. I expect a summons to court before the moon turns full again. If you promise not to act like a complete newborn, I will take you with me when I return to that viper pit." No matter how much Gaara would rather stay home, not going wasn't an option. "I would not normally make this offer, however I suspect that you will try to go regardless, and when the summons come, I will have little choice but to go. One does not simply refuse Indra."

Sasuke nods at him. Gaara was taking a risk. The younger vampire was well aware of it and he appreciated it, but he also didn't know what to say in this sort of situation. So he went with the obvious. "I'm sure with another month of study, you will hardly be able to tell the difference between myself and the rest of the vampires at court." He'd always been a fast learner.

Gaara raises a hairless brow. "Dare I ask what your studies thus far have entailed?"

"Everything from feeding to culture and history." Sasuke smirks at him. "Temari says that I show promise."

Temari's endorsement was certainly a reassurance. "And if you start lusting for blood in the middle of Indra's castle during dinner?" Gaara raises a far more challenging eyebrow.

"I'll control it or they'll restrain me." He lets go of the red head, not liking where this is going. "In another month, I'll have even better control than I do now."

"Good, for they will not be the ones restraining you, should you begin to lose control." Gaara smirks darkly. "I will. And I promise that if I have to drag your back to the guest chambers like a drunken maid, you will have reason to blush like one come morning."

Sasuke wasn't entirely sure if Gaara was sincere in that 'threat,' but he knew one thing for damn sure. "You're quite confident in your prowess if you think you can make me blush." He couldn't act like a shy school boy right now. He had to copy the red head's movements in whatever strange new dance he had thrust himself into.

"And you believe I have no reason to be?" He hadn't spent all of his time as a Ripper simply killing people, he knew how to enjoy himself in other ways from time to time. Gaara rises to his feet and glides silently towards the door, looking back once over his shoulder with the same dark smirk playing about his lips. "Perhaps you underestimate your elders. But I suppose we shall see when we arrive at court." He opens the door and slips through it without a sound. "Goodnight, Sasuke." It closes with a deafening thud that easily drowns out ay sound of Gaara's footsteps.

What had he just done? Sasuke had baited a much older vampire who had a history of being a Ripper and he was going to court with him. That and part of him, a part that he knew had to be suppressed at all costs, actually found that prospect exciting.


	4. Chapter 4

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 4

A few days had passed since the 'Dinner Incident' as Kisame likes to call it and still no sign of the irritable dolphin. Really, he didn't understand what had upset Itachi that much, but he was more than willing to make amends. If only he could find him.

There were very few people in the castle who were capable of keeping tabs on one of the few humans to reside there. Or at least one of the few humans who were not there expressly for the purpose of feeding the vampires. Itachi, for example, was always difficult to find.

Unless you were speaking with the silver-haired vampire now lazily watching the shark demon scurry about in search of the missing human. Kakashi smirks as he ambles down the hall, book in hand. "Looking for something?"

"Yeah." Kisame grins at the vampire. "You haven't seen any cute, but grumpy dolphins wandering around, have you?

Kakashi turns a page of his book. "If you're looking for dolphins, might I suggest checking the ocean?"

"Pft." He rolls his eyes. "You know that I meant Itachi."

"Yes, and he's particularly vexed about being given such a nickname." Not that it was any secret to Kakashi as to why that was. Nothing about Itachi was a secret to Kakashi. In fact, and though he would never say this to Indra's face, Kakashi knew Itachi better than the vampire lord ever could. "Yes, I've seen Itachi."

Good. Maybe he was finally getting somewhere. "Where is he?" If Kakashi knew this long game of Hide and Seek might finally be over.

"Hm..." Kakashi turns around, striding back down the hall from whence he came. "Avoiding most of the inhabitants of this castle."

Kisame nods at that as he follows the vampire without a word. If he was going to take him to see Itachi that was frankly all he cared about. Besides, the silver haired vampire had never struck him as suicidal enough to pick a fight with him.

Kakashi, however, was in no particular hurry to get anywhere. "So, what's your interest in Lord Indra's favourite pet? You've managed to do quite a number on his temper."

"He amuses me." Kisame chuckles. "Never seen a pretty face sour and smirk in such a rapid succession before. I've seen what he can do with a sword too."

"Yes...he's as deadly as a vampire even while still human." It was a matter of pride that Kakashi took in the years spent training the boy as an adolescent. "Though he's certainly as pretty as a doll, he's also as silent as one if in dangerous company."

Yeah. Kisame had noticed him. "Shy too." He shakes his head. "You don't usually see too many bashful humans at court."

No, that was certainly not the usual case, and Kakashi was no stranger as to why. "That is because most of the humans here either come hoping to gain power, favours, or life as vampires. They serve as feeders and gain the favour of the court nobles in whatever way they can. And generally, they come when they are grown and able to understand and navigate the complexities of the power structure. Or fail miserably and die. Others are brought here in terror to work menial labours and settle from an outlook of terror into one of obedience. Itachi is neither."

Kisame nods at that. He got the distinct impression he was about to face an inquisition and a sermon all at once. He hated both of those things. "I figured something was going on." No one's moods changed that quickly without warning. "Anyway, I want to make nice with him. I didn't realize he was some kind of blushing innocent."

Kakashi finally stops before a portrait hanging in a small alcove, away from the main halls. He sighs and glances up at the portrait, admiring once more the face of the young, fourteen year old boy in regal, expensive clothing, with the silky black hair that fell softly about his face. "Yes, I suppose you could say he is lucky in that respect. Most of the humans here fall easily into a vampire's bed. Itachi has avoided that fate thus far." Kakashi smiles wryly. "Though not for lack of trying. I received quite the surprise one night when he was eighteen. He was under the impression that convincing the court that he was no longer innocent would help protect him from unwanted advances."

"He's smart." Kisame glances at the portrait with appreciation. "His taste is decent." Though he'd be lying, if he tried to pretend the thought of Itachi in Kakashi's bed (or anyone else's bed) wasn't causing his teeth to sharpen even more than normal. "I take it that's a picture of Itachi?" The shark demon looks over the portrait. "It's a good likeness." It wasn't really any mystery why Indra had chosen Itachi to be his ward so to speak. Easy on the eyes, magic, and feisty once he got over meek facade. Just the way that Indra preferred it.

"Yes, it is." And Kakashi had been so proud of the boy. "He wore his hair much shorter back then, but I suppose his eyes give him away." There would be no mistaking those eyes, no matter how Itachi dressed. "That was painted a year after I brought him here." And the perfectly blank expression on the child's face haunted him. But there was no point in dwelling, the portrait was painted long ago. Kakashi steps past it, moving further down the corridor.

The other man nods at that. Kakashi seemed in the mood to prattle on and wax philosophical, so Kisame let him. The other man was helping him and there might be something useful in the vampire's reminiscing.

Kakashi stops at the window and turns towards Kisame, leaning back against the wall as he flips through his book. "Itachi has a habit of spending hours on the castle roof when the court is gathering. He finds it easier than subjecting himself to the scrutiny of unfriendly or jealous vampires who crave his access to Indra's ear." Something that he had advised Itachi to take advantage of, but Itachi rarely did. "Also, if you'd like to stand any sort of real chance with him, listen to his heart instead of his mouth. The latter has a habit of telling lies to protect the truths in his heart."

"You sure you didn't take him up on his offer?" Kisame feels his claws begin to itch. "You sound like as if you might have with all this heart to heart advice." He couldn't entirely help it. Sharks were apex predators and they didn't take kindly to the whole sharing thing.

The silver-haired vampire flips another page lazily. "I'm fairly certain that I would know if I had taken a man to my bed, even one as attractive as Itachi. Yes, I was tempted, but no, I did not take advantage of what he was offering." The rumours alone had been enough to settle the worst of the attentions. "I have been his trainer, teacher, caretaker, and confidant."

Kakashi was his vampire daddy then. Kisame wasn't a vampire. He didn't usually bother with the posturing that went on in the various courts his lord visited, but he knew one thing. The more titles a vampire listed, the more they were trying leave an impression. "He's lucky to have such a protective scarecrow watching over him." Kisame laughs and shakes his head. "Don't worry. I'm not going to have a go at Indra's favorite human."

"Good." Kakashi's eyes flash red as he smiles calmly. "For if you should upset Itachi, there's no need to fear Indra's wrath. You'll be dead long before he arrives."

"Why do vampires always have to do that freaky eye thing?" Kisame shakes his head. Oh well, he had expected Kakashi to say something like that. "Yeah. yeah. I get it though. He's your precious baby."

Kakashi merely gives the demon a friendly, fang-filled smile, snaps his book shut, and walks away. Within ten steps, he disappears into the darkness, leaving nothing but the faint trace of winter mint in his wake.

* * *

Dark eyes survey the landscape he knew so well. Every night he would come and watch it in the starlight. And every night, he would wonder about those left behind. Sasuke was eighteen now, that made him a man by human standards. Itachi wondered if their father had groomed his younger son to be the clan head after his eldest had disappeared.

Maybe Sasuke had a sweetheart now. And maybe one day he would have children. Itachi could be an uncle, and the young ones would never know him. He was only thirteen when he left, so maybe his parents had managed a third child? His mother was getting on in years when he left, but she could still have managed it. And Shisui, their cousin, he would be well into manhood now, likely with a wife of his own, children...

He had sent one letter home, just one, along with a small package for his mother. And in the ten years since, he had never received one in return. Not that he asked for one. But he hoped that it meant that his parents hadn't entertained thoughts of storming the castle. He also hoped that it meant that they were alive and well, and had accepted his loss with dignity. It would have been nice to know how they were doing, how Sasuke was growing.

Itachi sighs, the starry landscape providing him with no answers, as usual.

It had taken what seemed like an eternity of listening to the silver haired vampire give him the overprotective father speech, but Kisame had finally found him. Though he almost regrets he had. The sad look on the dolphin's face was enough to make even Kisame feel bad.

"I'd say a pint for your thoughts, but you don't drink blood like most of Indra's wards." He strides over to him. "I can't imagine that you've got that look on your face because I teased you a few days ago. You look like a vampire whose been doused in holy water. What's wrong?"

Dark eyes barely spare a glance for the shark demon. "...Shouldn't you be by your master's side?"

"He dismissed me for the evening." He shakes his head. "Given what I know about you, you don't want to know what those activities are."

"Hn." No, Itachi certainly didn't want to know. He didn't care for what vampires indulged in when he wasn't present. Particularly not when they wanted to involve him.

He was a prickly one. Sheesh. "You know you can tell me what's wrong." Kisame looks at him. "I don't live in the castle and I doubt that whatever it is can be anywhere near as bad as some of the things I've heard over the years."

Itachi's eyes grow cold, empty, lonely. "It's...nothing like that. I am simply wondering about the humans who live in the valley there." He gazes at the swath of green, cradled by the mountains and displayed perfectly before him. It all looked so small, so far away. At the same time, it looked so close...as if he could fly there in less than a day.

Ah. So that was it. Itachi was just homesick for his own species. "I'm sure they're like most humans." He pats the other man on the back. "Some are amusing, some are annoying, some should be put down like mad dogs, and some are kind. No different from any other humans, I should think." Deciding to throw him a bone, Kisame smiles at him. "Or any other species."

"...To you perhaps. And to any vampire residing here." But not to Itachi, never to him... "There's an older couple with a small shop that sells sweets. A meadow where the children play games and pick flowers, and next to that is a great forest where the children of this region's magical clan practice their crafts, whether that be magic, or the sword, or bow. And there is a great human estate where the clan resides. They have traditions and beliefs and customs passed down from one generation to the next." And it was this that remained bitter on Itachi's tongue. "Vampires may rule, but they forget that humans are intelligent beings, just as they are. Humans are not simply cattle, or toys for their amusement."

Itachi laughs, a terrible, bitter laugh. "Though, it seems that you have the wrong impression of me. I suppose it is because you are unaware of the circumstances behind my presence here. You've called me Indra's ward, and suggest that I might one day be his heir, and perhaps he sees it that way as well. But in truth, I am neither, and all who dwell in this court know it."

The bitterness didn't suit him. It was enough to cause Kisame to frown. As far as he could tell, Itachi hadn't been mistreated. So he was at a loss for why he felt this way. "I guess you'll have to humor me." He shrugs. "Unless it comes to a fight, it's hard for new stuff to get into my head. Once it it's there though, it never leaves."

Fine, then Itachi would explain it slowly. "Lord Indra sees me as his ward, but in truth I am his hostage. When I was twelve years old, my developing abilities caught his eye, and he sent a summons to the head of the Uchiha Clan, the clan that populates that valley down there, 'requesting' that I be sent to the castle. Twice, my father refused him. When I was thirteen, he sent Kakashi for me. My choices were to refuse and bring Lord Indra's wrath down on my clan, or to come here and do whatever was asked of me." And Itachi had known his choice, even though it shattered his heart. "One does not simply say no to the lord of this castle, after all."

Itachi toys with the ends of his hair, remembering that day with exceptional clarity. "And so, I have been here for ten years, and not once have I been allowed to set foot outside of this castle. There are no letters, no visits, and my family believes me either dead or turned. When last I saw my younger brother, he was eight years old, and his eyes held nothing but hatred for me. He believed that I wanted to come here and become a vampire. And to keep him from coming to rescue me, I let him believe it."

"So that's why you're being so..." Kisame didn't even know what to call it. "You're punishing yourself because you had to lie to your brother and you feel guilty."

"And how is it that you came to that conclusion." Not that Kisame was entirely wrong, but Itachi was self-aware enough to know that while his guilt didn't help matters, there was far more to it than that.

"You're not letting yourself enjoy anything about this place because your brother would view it as a betrayal." He sighs and shakes his head. "It's a shame and I suppose that you feel like the odd one out since you have a pulse."

Feeling like the odd one out was putting it mildly. But Itachi gives the demon a wry smile nonetheless. "What is the point in enjoying a place where you are almost completely alone? Kakashi is my only friend here. The court hates me for being their lord's favourite, but they no longer try to rip my throat out on purpose because it would anger him. Indra favours me, but only because of my power and my looks. His few attempts at being paternal serve only to remind me that I no longer have a family. I throw away my pride and keep my silence so that I might survive and continue to be the sacrifice that ensures my clan's survival. That is my only purpose now."

"I've only got Nagato and that's because he's my employer." Kisame watches the vampire with a frown. "That's never bothered me, but I suppose sharks have always been more solitary than humans. You're not really surviving." Kisame quirks an eyebrow as if disappointed by him. "If you were to slip from this roof and fall to your death, Indra wouldn't hold that against your family and you know it. Yet your still here. On some level you must want to be more than a pretty, empty husk."

Maybe, but nights like this when Itachi sat and contemplated things...his thoughts often grew very dark. "For now, I train what magical skills I possess, and to wield a blade well enough to challenge vampires without having been turned. That is the only safe place for my pride. After that, Lord Indra plans to turn me within two years. So I suppose...maybe I hold on to the vain hope that after he's turned me that he'll be satisfied with that and I might see my family again, even if only from a distance." Though he would never be able to rejoin them once he became a vampire. "The closest I have felt to the warmth of my family since then has come from Kakashi."

"Have you ever asked him to see them again?" Kisame was skeptical that he had.

Itachi had know better than to ask that. "I sent them a letter once, a few weeks after arriving here...and included something for my mother. I had made it clear to my brother that I would not be returning home, and I held to that promise. But when I grew lonely enough to ask if they might be allowed to visit me, he said that it would not be wise to bring them to the castle where so many vampires could be found. He...offered me the chance to go visit them, on the condition that I could only spend a day there and then come back." He hadn't accepted the offer. "I was young, scared, but I knew that if I went, I wouldn't return here. So instead I wrote a letter. I never received one in return."

"Well, he's probably right about having them visit here." Kisame frowns, not sure what to say. "I suppose you're just bound and determined to be miserable. Probably the only way you can keep people from jumping you." There, that ought to rile him up. Anger was better than this...sad husk.

A red-eyed glare emanates from the pale face ringed by darkness. "And why is it that you believe that this is a defence mechanism against lecherous vampires?" Perhaps it was, once upon a time ago, but Itachi had far more tricks now for keeping unwanted suitors away if they persisted after he told them no. "Have you forgotten that I can light vampires and demons aflame with my eyes?"

"Most of the time, you don't have much fight left in you." That much was obvious. Kisame scarcely understood why Itachi was still hanging on at this point other than perhaps some primal drive to do so. "You're a damn good fighter. I've seen what you can do with your sword and magic, but most of the time you'd rather just find some little secluded spot and torture yourself some more over things that you can't change." It was depressing.

His people generally didn't do brooding for the most part. Food, fighting, and mating were the things they thought about most of the time. If they mourned, it was usually only if they lost a mate or a pup. Even then, they were resilient. Itachi had a fire in him, but it was far too close to burning out for his liking. So if he had to piss him off to stoke the flames, well that was fine with him.

"And what is it that you would do in my position?" If this demon thought that Itachi was so pitiful, then perhaps he might have something enlightening to say.

"Would have gotten control of my bloodlust and taken him up on his offer of spending the day with my mortal family if they were really that precious to me." He stands up as he looks at Itachi. "Your brother would have raged and might not have believed you, but it's not as if a human could actually kill you and no blow or words he could throw at you are worse than whatever guilt you saddle yourself with every day. Then...well, I would have enjoyed what was offered to me."

Itachi grows quiet, his eyes returning to the stars. "Do you enjoy it? No longer ageing? The power that comes with being eternally young?" Demons were similar to vampires in regard to lifespan. They could be killed, but they didn't perish from age-related issues.

"I'm old enough to know how to fight and young enough that the Ageing Curse hasn't impacted me yet." He smirks at him, showing his fangs. "So yes, I enjoy being young and strong. I've got a long time to go before I fall into a depression over the fact that I'm forever cursed to be young and handsome and not to die of old age. It might happen one day, but for now I enjoy my place at the top of the food chain."

The corners of Itachi's lips turn up slightly. "You consider yourself handsome? Is that in general, or just for your species?"

"I like to think both, but I'm aware that most species see the fangs and not much else." He smirks. "You should see some of my brothers and sisters, if you have an issue with my visage. "

"And there are some who fail to see past my absence of fangs." Not that Itachi minded it when he got less attention. "For the most part, immortals consider me a pretty pet, and little else. The fact that I could burn them to ash typically escapes their notice."

"So use that to your advantage." Kisame smiles at him.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. "To do more than avoid unnecessary fights and unwanted confrontations?"

"Sometime throwing the right punch prevents you from having to throw a hundred later." His smirk only grows. "Course, I'm not you. I love a good fight, but since you're such a pacifist it's something to think about."

"Like with Hidan." True, Itachi had lost that battle, but no one was quite so quick to pick a fight with him after that. Though that might have been more due to Indra's intervention in the end. But he liked to think that he had still made a point about his abilities that day. "Perhaps that is the reason why Lord Indra gives orders for his vampires to attend to my training sessions when Kakashi is busy or can't be bothered." It was said more to himself than to the shark man, but it was something to think about.

"It's possible." Kisame chuckles. "Though I think that's the closest that Indra gets to pride for another being. He probably feels your victories are his."

And as usual, Itachi's pride came second. "Then perhaps he should find me more difficult opponents. Easy victories are hardly something to write home about."

That was something. At least the little dolphin wasn't ready to play dead quite yet. "I imagine he could do that for you." Kisame finds himself smiling despite the situation.

Itachi sighs, turning his gaze on the valley one last time, before rising to his feet and dusting off his trousers, which were immaculate, as always. "I should be turning in for the night. I imagine that it will be difficult to find time to sleep when the guests begin arriving en masse."

Kisame nods and smirks at him. "Well, if you get lonely you know where to find me." He turns and makes for the closest balcony before the other man could turn him to ash.

But even distance wasn't enough to stop Itachi from lighting a couple of blue locks on fire.

"Damn." The kid had range, Kisame had to give him that.

Itachi smirked as he disappeared back into the window, his melancholy relieved for the moment. Though the trepidation with the coming of Indra's court celebrations was just reaching its height. And it would come when the moon turned full again.


	5. Chapter 5

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 5

In what world could this possibly be construed as a good idea? Yes, Itachi felt like he needed more difficult opponents. But how the bloody hell was he supposed to fight a man whose sword looked more like a tree made of shark scales?

Itachi's eye twitches as he watches the shark demon smirk away. "Kakashi, in what world does this constitute a good idea?"

"You said you wanted a difficult opponent and Kisame isn't foolish enough to go in for the kill in this situation?" He smiles at his student.

The fact that Kakashi had somehow made that into a question was worrisome all by itself. "I see." Though Itachi was still trying to figure out just how to fight that thing without getting his own sword caught in the hook-like scales. If it even touched him, he could very well lose a limb.

Kisame winks at him. "Don't worry. I can be gentle when I want to be." Looked like his dolphin wasn't nearly as cocky as he pretended to be sometimes.

Itachi's eyes narrow and he tightens the grip in his fingers, loosening up his wrist. Very well, he could play this game if Kisame wanted to. "I never said I wanted gentle." He would never improve if his opponents went easy on him.

Good. There was that fire again. Itachi seemed to be doing a bit better now than when Kisame had first showed up. He just needed the proper motivation. "Alright." He charges at him. "I'm glad you feel that way. Makes it more fun!" His sword slashes towards the other man.

The moment Kisame's giant sword slashes through the space where he once was, Itachi disappears from sight, flipping high into the air and well above Kisame's head. He whirls around, aiming a lightning-fast lunge at the giant's armoured back.

"You're good." Kisame was faster than his large frame would indicate because he manages to dodge and rears around in time to hurl up his sword in a defensive block. "Though let's see if you're good enough."

Itachi smirks slightly as his second lunge slips around Kisame's sword while he twists himself out of the potential forward path of the massive shredder.

Kisame could hardly belive a human could be that fast, but he had seen it with his own eyes. "Impressive." No wonder Indra wanted him turned so badly.

Dark eyes glitter with satisfaction even as Itachi presses his advantage. "I've had good training." Kakashi might be perpetually late, lazy, and prefer reading his erotic books than actually actively training Itachi anymore, but he had been a stringent teacher in teaching him the basics and leaving him to his own devices as he practiced day in and day out.

Kisame nods at this as he lunges at Itachi with a surpising speed given how big his sword was. Well, if the human wanted to play, Kisame didn't mind indulging him.

Knowing that winning by brute strength would be a futile battle, Itachi ducks under the sword, springing back and just out of its reach. He turns his sword in hand, racing off to his left and away from the swing of the giant sword to slash at the blue giant's shoulder.

Kisame grunts as Itachi manages to draw blood, but he recovers quickly. The man was a beast with his strength and swordsmanship skills. Slashing almost faster than one could blink.

This time, Itachi catches the sword's blow on the flat of his blade, the metal groaning under the strain as it barely holds of the giant sword. His eyes glow a vibrant red and the strain on his arms lessens, if only slightly. "You're as strong as your size suggests." He attempts to tug his sword away, but as expected, it remains stuck between the barbs of Kisame's monster sword.

"You're a lot stronger than a human should be." He smiles.

Red eyes lock onto the giant's face, a hint of a smirk crossing the pale face. "I am an Uchiha." He releases his hold on his sword, letting it drop as he pulls a long dagger from a smaller sheath on his back, stabbing it towards the giant's throat with an almost lethal intent.

He chuckles. "You're feisty." Very feisty when he wasn't acting like a dog about to be put down.

A flash of amusement lights up in the eyes darkening from red to black. "Perhaps." He withdraws the dagger slowly, twirling it in his hand, then returning it to its sheath. Then, the amusement fades into frustration. "You held back."

"Of course, I did." He smirks at Itachi. "This isn't to the death and you're too pretty to mess up your face."

"Hn." The fact that Kisame was appealing to his vanity pricked Itachi's pride. A strange sensation in and of itself. ...On the other hand, he did appreciate the giant man's continued assertions of his attractiveness. If nothing else, Kisame was consistent.

With the forces acting on the blade loosened, Itachi picks it up from where it had fallen in the grass, examining the blade carefully. As expected, the edges of the blade had not appreciated going up against such an oddly shaped monster of a weapon. Nicks and cracks litter the edge of the blade, going in so deep that no amount of sharpening would restore the temper. "It seems that I'll be needing to request a new weapon."

"Sorry about that." He grins at him displaying his sharklike teeth. "I tend to get a little carried away sometimes."

"It's fine, it was an old blade." And certainly not one of the lavishly decorated ones that Indra had offered him before. Itachi preferred to keep his weapons simple, light, without ornamentation that would slow down his swing, or glittering adornments that would reflect the light and give away his movements.

He nods at that and shakes his head. "Suppose you don't want a fancier one either, I take it?" Itachi was a strange one sometimes.

Itachi smirks softly, fitting the ruined blade carefully back into its sheath. "I have nothing that needs compensating for with a cumbersome and decorated sword."

Oh he was a sassy one. Kisame would show him just how much he was not compensating later. Whenever Itachi got over his ridiculous sense of bashfulness. For now, he just snorts at the implication.

As Itachi strides away from the training field, Kakashi nods consideringly. "He likes you." In fact, he would almost go so far as to say that Itachi trusted Kisame. Which was astonishing and something of a miracle in itself.

"That's liking me?" Kisame almost chuckles. "Well, I suppose I'll take your word for it. You would know him best."

"Yes, I do." Kakashi Sighs softly. "You've been catching glimpses of Itachi's true face, buried beneath a decade of silence and submission. He shows this part of himself rarely, and usually only to me, though occasionally to Lord Indra. It is...frustrating to see his fire dampened by his sense of duty."

Kisame couldn't agree more with Kakashi on that. He almost feels guilty for wanting to rip the man's face off for almost sleeping with Itachi really. "My thoughts exactly."

"Good. Well, I'm off to greet some of the guests. I'm sure that you and your dolphin have games to play while all of the fangs try not to snap at each other." The silver-haired vampire ambles off towards the great hall, book in hand, but eyes alert and sharp. While Kakashi did enjoy being a vampire, the politics were certainly something he could do without. And with the invitations sent out, and vampires from across the region arriving with their retinues, the political games were due to start any minute now.

He snaps the book shut, laughing to himself. Who was he kidding? The political machinations had already begun.

* * *

"It was just a myth." Sasuke shakes his head as he stares into his reflection. "Vampires really do have reflections." Which was frankly a relief to him. Not because he was vain, but because he had to be sure that Itachi wouldn't recognize him once he arrived at court.

Something that should be happening soon. With every passing day, Sasuke finds himself growing more anxious. Would today be the day that Gaara's summons would arrive?

Gaara smirks with amusement as he watches the baby vampire preen. "I take it that it's been some time since you last looked into a mirror?"

"A few months." If the red head thought he was vain, Sasuke wouldn't protest the label. It didn't matter for the sake of his mission and might even be advantageous.

Gaara chuckles softly, his fingers flipping idly through a book he remembered reading as a child long ago. "If you are worried about looking presentable at court, you could simply ask Temari to aid you."

A mask would be best. "I think that I'll do that." He nods at Gaara in gratitude.

The redhead's eyes flick up once more. "Also I believe that both the scarlet and cobalt flatter your eyes and skin, but the purple is on the dark side, and could overwhelm your features. Unless you'd prefer to pair it with that leather jerkin. In which case, I would encourage you to wear the violet."

"I'll take that into consideration." Alright. Maybe he was a little vain. "I'll go see if she's available to assist me."

But before either man in the room can make a move, a knock on the door preludes Temari's entrance. The blonde vampiress strides inside, carrying a letter in one hand, and an uneasy expression on her face.

There was no need to ask what the letter in her hand was about, but Gaara knew that it was more a matter of formality that he read it before making his travel plans. "Excellent timing, Temari, I was just advising that Sasuke ask you for help in preparing for his first court appearance."

The blonde doesn't bat an eye at the request. "It looks as though he's going to need it." She strides across the room, handing the sealed letter to her brother, the wax embossed with a complex whirling design, Indra's personal seal. "An official envoy arrived with this a few moments ago."

Gaara looks over the letter, nodding slightly as he breaks the seal and opens the soft, smooth envelope. Indra only used the finest paper for writing, after all. He was a vampiric lord who prided himself on having the finest of everything. That. Included handwriting, as his gaze traverses the expanse of the short, yet formal and welcoming letter. Which, at the same time, came off as prideful and commanding.

Finally, he tears his gaze from the letter and turns his seafoam gaze on the young vampire before him. "Lord Indra has requested my presence at court, and informs me that my siblings and I, should they wish to come, may bring a retinue of up to ten servants, vassals, guards, or guests of our choosing."

"Good." Sasuke smirks at him. "That means you still have nine people you can bring with you besides me." Gaara had made him a promise, after all.

"Yes. We will be taking Baki, Shukaku, Yashamaru, Matsuri, and Sasori." Gaara had already made the selections for the retinue days ago. Each of them was loyal, talented, and served very different purposes. Though two among the number were rather eccentric and impossible to control, so long as Gaara simply left them to their own devices, Sasori and Shukaku's presence would benefit him.

Then, he turns his attention onto his sister. "Will you and Kankuro be joining us, or would you prefer not to accompany us to the viper pit?"

"I find myself torn." Temari sighs as she crosses her arms. "Sasuke is so young, not going wiht him seems neglectful." It seemed abusive really. "Though I have no love for that place, I wouldn't be able to live with myself, if I didn't go."

Kankuro pauses for a moment. "If only two of us go, that would look bad." The court would buzz with rumors about their sibling bond having come unraveled or something. "So I'll go as well."

"Very well." Gaara folds the letter and replaces it in the envelope. "Then finish packing your bags. We leave at dusk. And be sure not to forget your rings."

They offer their assurances before they dart off to pack. It wasn't surprising, while Sasuke didn't have much to take other than some clothes and coins, they likely wanted to make some sort of statement about being wealthy. "It's good that you reminded him or Kankuro would have forgotten his daylight ring in favor of string for his puppets." He was a puppeteer, after all, and mildly obsessed with his craft.

"Yes, that seems likely." Gaara toys with the beautiful lapis lazuli ring on his finger, polished and burnished to a beautiful glow and enchanted by a witch to ward off the rays of the sun. "I trust that we will not have to worry about you throwing yourself into the light of the sun unprotected?"

The ring was beautiful, as was the vampire who wore it, but Sasuke had more important things to worry about. "You're right. That's not a concern when it comes to me." He needed to find Itachi. He'd deal with whatever this attraction he felt for Gaara was later or he'd just ignore it. Actually, the latter was probably the wiser decision for now...

"Good, then remember your manners, but do not let others speak down to you, and never challenge a vampire more than twice your age unless you're certain that you can win." Gaara had always felt that those were the best rules to abide by to preserve honour, dignity, pride, and life. Though he would admit that sometimes, he would come across a vampire who truly did deserve to have the rug pulled out from under them as they strutted about.

"How do you know how old they are?" He quirks an eyebrow at that. "Sometimes it's obvious, but I've only been a vampire for a few months. How would i know if someone had been a vampire for a couple years?"

"Apart from a general sense of their power, the younger a vampire is, the more likely they are to remain by their Sire's side." Though Gaara knew that was not always the case. "Or they are more likely to make a commotion. The young ones often calm somewhat by their seventh or eighth decade. Occasionally earlier. They are also far more eager to drink blood when offered, and tend to stalk their prey, even when not hunting."

That was something. "Good to know." So there wasn't a specific way to know but he could at least gauge them generally. "Thank you."

Gaara nods, returning his attention to his book. "Though I doubt that you will need to use such tactics to find your brother. I assume that you would recognize him with a glance when we greet Indra. If he resides in the castle, he will be at the banquet, likely at Indra's table."

"That's true." How he was going to feign civility in front of his brother at Indra's table, Sasuke wasn't sure. He couldn't kill Itachi, the risk was too high. "What are you reading?" He could do something worse though. He would make Itachi feel what he felt on the day his brother abandoned him.

"A book of philosophy." Gaara closes it halfway to look at the leather-bound cover. "A human wrote it. It is a dissection of the concept we call love, and of all its facets and forms."

"That's probably the most unromantic description of love that I've ever heard." Sasuke blinks. "A dissection of the concept?" Sheesh. Granted Gaara struck him as the sort who didn't really believe in romantic love to begin with. Still, that description was a bit jarring.

Gaara's expression softens. "Perhaps you would prefer the description...an examination of love in all of its shapes and forms, from family to friendship, to romance. It is quite in depth and is written with an intricacy one might not usually expect of humans."

Well, that was better. "That description makes you sound marginally less like a physician." Sasuke nods at him approvingly. He really shouldn't have cared how Gaara described love, but it had slipped out before he could consider the consequences of making such commentary. In short, he had gotten tremendously lucky that the red head hadn't taken offense.

"I should hope so, I haven't required one since I was your age." Perhaps younger, but Gaara barely remembered those years, save for a favourite toy that his mother had made him before she passed. "Now, I believe that Temari will be expecting you in her chambers shortly for your..." He looks the newborn up and down critically. "...Well, there is little to improve on, but I'm certain that she will find something before we leave."

Could vampires blush, Sasuke wonders to himself? "She will because that is what Temari excels in." There was no denying the blonde was lovely and her clothes were the height of fashion and yet, Sasuke just wasn't attracted to her, though he knew objectively she was beautiful and the vampiress had never treated him unkindly. "Beauty." Maybe, Gaara had a point. Perhaps it wasn't Temari herself, but the fact Sasuke just preferred men. Certainly, he felt more drawn to the former ripper.

"Precisely. And better you than me." Gaara had little patience for his sister's beauty antics, but he would endure it if it was required. However he was more than willing to push this baby vampire into his sister's clutches. "It's likely one of the reasons she agreed to turn you. She always did love pretty things."

"Did you just call me pretty?" Sasuke wasn't sure whether to preen with pride at that or be annoyed at the feminine connotation.

Gaara smirks and reopens his book, turning yet another page. Ah, perhaps their time at court wouldn't be so boring after all.

* * *

He didn't like that one...or that one...or that one either... Itachi sighs as the guests begin traipsing through the castle gates, one procession following the next. They wore gold and jewels,dressed up as though showing worth that truly wasn't there. Their clothes might be of fine quality, but it was, of course, the most pompous and arrogant of the lords and ladies who arrived first, preferring to show off their fortunes rather than their personalities. So many false greetings and careful politicking. And poisoned fangs hid behind even more poisonous smiles.

These were the vampires that Itachi hated, the ones whose lecherous, entitled ways led them to see him as nothing more than a pretty, unthinking pet with whom Lord Indra might allow them to do whatever they pleased. And somehow it was HIS fault when his master turned them down. He was the one who received the hateful glares, and Indra all the simpering smiles.

And one of the lords in particular, one with long oily hair as black as night, he wished he could turn it as grey as ash by setting it alight and letting it burn right off his head. That would teach the fool not to make advances towards him when he had no interest in being his bloody plaything for the night.

Itachi curses fluently under his breath as he retreats further into the shadows, making note of every face that enters the castle, knowing from experience which ones to avoid and which he could allow to approach him for a few words of greeting after the banquet.

"You're not the most social human." Kisame chuckles and shakes his head. "A decent hider, but I'm an even better seeker." He could feel the rage rolling off of Itachi, but he couldn't really see why. "That worried they'll try to bite you? I doubt it. I've seen what you can do and they likely have by now too."

Not likely, since he hadn't had an outburst like the one against Hidan since he was thirteen. "Half of them have tried to bed or bite me." Itachi feels the words go sour on his tongue. "Or both. There seems to be a number of myths surrounding the taste of blood when either pure or aroused."

"I'm not into biting my lovers for obvious reasons." His fangs were large enough that even if he tried to be gentle, he'd probably end up ripping their throat out. "I can't say I blame them. They have good taste, but if you're that worried about it, I'd suggest you get yourself a lover or I could put on a grand show for you."

Itachi raises an elegant eyebrow. "A grand show?" Somehow, he doubted that the man meant to put on a play to distract the guests with.

"Well, the easiest way to make vampires or most people lay off with the advances is if they think you're already taken." He flashes his own fangs. "Preferably by someone who can throw their weight around more than them. I don't have a Mate. So you don't have to worry about someone getting jealous if you wanna let them assume things."

That was a rather inelegant way to proposition someone. "I see. And you envision this entailing...what, exactly?" Itachi was willing to entertain the idea if it would keep the more persistent 'suitors' away. "Most of the rumours concerning the state of my...'innocence' are that it was lost to Kakashi half a decade ago. Those who remain persistent are...not the type to trifle with if at all possible."

"I don't think they really believe that Kakashi is your lover." He shakes his head and laughs. "Well, not anymore anyway. If he was, he would have already killed them for looking at you." Hmm. What could he say to him. "I get entertainment out of it mostly and if you decide you want to turn it into something real, well I'm not going to pretend that I'm above petting a pretty dolphin such as yourself."

Itachi's cheeks heat a number of degrees, but he crosses his arms and turns his full attention on the giant blue demon, rather than the vampires waltzing into the castle. "This would have been a great deal easier if Kakashi didn't prefer women." His mentor was good for a lot of things, but sometimes, his preferences, such as for erotic literature and women, were irritatingly inconvenient. And clearly he was never going to be rid of this nickname that Kisame insisted on giving him. "And what sort of entertainment would you seek to get out of this...arrangement?"

"I just like annoying some of the more stuffy vampires." He shrugs as if that was obvious. "I'm staying here and guarding Lord Nagato either way, but most of the time, he's busy playing politics with the other vampires and it does get boring after awhile."

"I suppose that's fair." Itachi couldn't say that he was particularly fond of vampire politics either. Except in the rare instances where the most irritating vampire nobles were absent or quiet, and the intelligent ones could debate openly without idiocy, greed, or narcissism stepping in. And perhaps Itachi was going to regret this, but for now, it seemed to be his safest choice. "Very well, I accept your proposal."

"Alright." He nods at him. "I've gotta say that it'll look more convincing when you don't look like you've sucked on a lemon."

Waving his hand at the processions below, Itachi sighs. "They have this effect on me. They simply do not know it because I spend more of my time avoiding meeting Lord Indra's guests than I do letting my master show me off to them." And it had been a great source of stress for him over the years. "They make me very...tense."

"Yes, I can see that." He smirks at him and kisses Itachi's cheek. "Well as your lover, it's part of my sacred obligation to make you less tense."

The place where Kisame's lips touched burned, but Itachi's mouth, for once, refused to listen to his brain as gazed up at the blue demon. "And what else is part of your sacred obligation?"

"Well, that depends on if you want me to play the part or you're feeling ambitious enough to take a demon as your lover." He chuckles.

Considering his options, Itachi could definitely do worse than an annoying demon who gave him silly nicknames. "Is this your way of saying you would like to try courting me?"

Maybe, Kisame had been too subtle. Perhaps just throwing Itachi over his shoulder and dragging him off to the nearest bedchamber would be better. You know, the traditional way of courting someone. "Yup." He smirks and shakes his head. "I can try the frilly way. Get you flowers and things like that, if that's what makes you happy."

Itachi frowns with confusion. "I was under the impression that flowers and frilly things were how human men courted women." Were demons and vampires the same? Somehow, Itachi doubted it. Then again, he had been so young when he was brought here that courting wasn't a topic that had been covered just yet in his house. He knew the theory from watching his older cousins at work, but short of rather direct flirtation and insistent offers, courting here was nonexistent around him.

"My kind doesn't usually court." Kisame smiles as if remembering something pleasant. "Generally, we just prove that we're worthy in whatever way we think of, usually by hunting or protecting our intended mate. Sometimes fighting off challengers and that sort of thing, so I figured you'd want something more traditional."

Right, hunting and protecting. Perhaps Itachi should have expected such a response coming from a demon of a predatory species. "Then perhaps there is a...middle ground we could meet on. My comfort is not all that matters." There was Kisame's to consider as well, and Itachi didn't want to come across as prissy or demanding.

"I'm sure we'll come up with something." He rests his hand on Itachi's shoulder. "You'll find that I can be VERY creative."

"Is that so?" And the connection between Itachi's mouth and brain was beginning to slip again. He blamed the stress. And he should probably have removed Kisame's hand, but he let it rest there as he leaned back slightly on his right palm. "How creative?"

Ah. That was better. His little dolphin was finally warming up to him. "I suppose you'll find out soon enough." He smirks.

"Hn." Itachi rolls his eyes, letting them glow red as he burst into a storm of flapping wings and glossy pitch black feathers. If Kisame wanted to play games, that was fine. Itachi could play games as well. And there would be plenty of time for them as the banquet drew nearer.


	6. Chapter 6

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 6

Four days later, Kisame was in the middle of 'distracting' Itachi from the big vampire shindig going on. By distracting, he meant giving the dolphin a shoulder rub. Something that never failed to elicit some very desirable responses out of his 'intended' as the human liked to say.

Itachi's eyes were closed as he lay comfortably on an enormous couch in one of the many sitting rooms dotting the castle. He hated feeling so tense with all of the vampires prowling the halls, but he was used to looking over his shoulder constantly. A shoulder that was feeling much less tense than it used to. He hadn't realized it had gotten so bad until it started feeling better. "Mm...you're quite good at this."

"Well, I've always been more of a demon of action than words." He laughs as he continues to massage those shoulders some more.

"Yes, so I see." Itachi sighs, turning his head use enough that he can watch Kisame from the corner of his eye. "I suppose that I will have to work on having enough words for the both of us." At least when they were in private. "...I realize that it bothers you when I refuse to speak much in the company of vampires."

"I can't really blame you, I guess." He shakes his head. "They're your natural predators."

Yes, and it was something that Itachi chafed under. "It's not easy when you find yourself at the bottom of the hierarchy, perceived or otherwise." And most of the vampires who expressed the most interest in him were so old that challenging them would have been suicidal, at best. "And relying on Lord Indra's protection and intervention to solve disagreements would have created enough resentment in the court that I would be warding off assassination attempts."

He places a kiss to the back of Itachi's neck. "I imagine, that they've been suitably scared off now or I can rough them up if they're stupid." He smiles.

Itachi shivers under the touch and goose flesh prickles his skin. "Yes, I suppose so." Perhaps Kisame was a demon of action and not of courting, but he seemed good enough at it if he tried. Very good...

"Good. I'd be worried about losing my touch, if they weren't scared off by now."

He couldn't help wanting to teach Kisame a little, so Itachi waits a moment for the pressure to let up before rolling onto his back. "I believe that may have more to do with the fact that short of your jaunts with Lord Nagato, you accompany me everywhere, and your exotic looks scare many would-be suitors away."

"They know demons are territorial in the rare instance we choose to claim someone for more that just a night." He smirks at him. "I'm just reminding them of that fact."

"Just a night?" Itachi raises an eyebrow mockingly. "I don't recall you having such luck thus far."

"I could have, if I wanted to." He watches Itachi with amusement. "You were the one who wanted to be courted. I don't mind indulging in you that, but am also very happy just to claim you in in the traditional way, if you're suddenly feeling less bashful."

"I am not bashful, merely...cautious..." And Itachi prayed that his cheeks were hot as red as they felt. "And I did say that perhaps we could find some middle ground for...easing into...this?"

He was bashful, but Kisame didn't hold it against him. "We could do that." Itachi was still human, for all his magic and combat process, and he was a demon. The differences in physiology had to intimidate him on some level.

Itachi nods, shifting a little on the soft cushions as his hair splays out beneath him. The gaze that Kisame had fled on his was intense, yet held hints of amusement, mischief, and a cocky air. "So, what do you believe the middle ground to be between your traditions and mine?"

"Hmm, we could bathe together." He was a shark demon and the thought of a naked Itachi was an extremely appealing one.

Well, that was certainly...something. "Perhaps...when there are less witnesses in the castle who might have it in mind to walk in on such a sight." And Itachi didn't really fancy the idea of exposing his very vulnerable and easily maimed human skin to nippy vampires.

"I see you're not a fan of an audience." He smiles and kisses Itachi. "That's fine. I suppose it would be tempting fate to parade you about too much anyway." Somehow managing not to bite his lips or tongue off.

A little surprised by the gesture and wary of the sharp teeth in extremely close proximity to his face, Itachi hesitantly returns the kiss. This, he was more familiar with, at least for a witness standpoint. He remembered a few things that his older cousin Shisui had told him about kissing. Using your tongue was very important. And the longer you wanted to kiss, the more you needed to breathe in through your nose and not your mouth. He applied the latter piece of advice here as his lips parted slightly and he took a single breath before he found his mouth sealed once more.

Kisame smiles as he briefly breaks the kiss. "I think that I'm growing quite fond of this middle ground. Don't worry." He traces Itachi's lower lip with his thumb. "Just think of it as kissing a vampire with large fangs."

"Well, seeing as I've never kissed a vampire..." Itachi huffs quietly, his lips turning down in a slight pout as he bites the tip of Kisame's thumb. Not hard, but enough to make a point before letting his tongue swirl over the light bite mark.

"Perhaps not, but you're already biting like one." The shark demon smiles at him and at the attention.

"I've been raised by one for the last ten years." So Itachi felt like he had an excuse there. "And Indra's plan it to turn me by my twenty-fifth birthday. So, I should probably get some practice in." And though the prospect of becoming a vampire had once been terrifying, Itachi was beginning to mind it a little less day by day.

"Probably a smart idea." He murmurs between kisses. "Besides, there are some benefits to vampirism. Like increased stamina." Which he would be putting to good use later.

"Mm...good to know." Itachi sighs into each kiss, his eyes sliding shut. Though it was no mystery where Kisame mind was wandering. Or his hands, as one settled on Itachi's thigh, and the other trails up over his hip. "You enjoy touching me." He'd sacrificed a little air to get the words out, but the little trails of heat those large hands left behind deserved some attention.

"You say that as if it's unexpected." Amusement dances in his eyes. "Of course, I enjoy touching you."

Despite his initial reservations, Itachi didn't mind it. There was a power to Kisame's presence that, other than infuriating him when Kisame so chose to, Itachi felt comfortable in. Comfortable enough to take Kisame's hand and slide it further up and around his back. "And I enjoy having you touch me."

* * *

Sasuke had always enjoyed carriage rides until today. While the countryside passing by them was beautiful, it didn't negate the fact that he was alone with Gaara. Temari and Kankuro had taken a second carriage. Apparently having more than two vampires per carriage was seen as the sign of a pauper or some nonsense. So he was alone in a carriage with a red head with the most intense eyes that Sasuke had ever seen.

Intense eyes that were focused acutely on the uncomfortable newborn sitting on the lounging bench across from him. Gaara resists the urge to chuckle, but still turns up his lips into a slight smirk. "Is something wrong, Sasuke?" He had long since determined that it was not trepidation regarding meeting Indra that was making the baby vamp so skittish.

"It's been ten years." Sasuke sighs as he looks out the carriage. "Though I have to be careful he doesn't recognize me at first in public." All of that was true, but strangely enough it was Gaara who was weighing more heavily on his mind. Maybe he had sacrificed his eyebrows in some occult ritual in favor of bewitching the senses of those around him. Yes, that had to be it.

Very well, if the baby vamp wanted to focus on the less amusing source of his anxiety, then Gaara would humor him. "And do you believe that you will be able to recognize him first?" If Sasuke was going to such trouble to surprise his brother, then he would have to be careful not to give himself away before the reunion.

"I'd know Itachi anywhere." He nods with confidence.

"I see." But Gaara felt as though Sasuke's confidence also spoke of something sadder and darker than mere reunion. And that sentiment had been growing by the day. "You've missed him."

"I miss who he used to be." Sasuke shakes his head. "That person died on the day he left." He hadn't spoken of the circumstances of Itachi's departure to Gaara, but the red head would find out eventually anyway. Now that they were almost at the castle, he wouldn't turn the carriage around.

"He left to become a member of Indra's court, is that right?" Gaara frowns slightly. Judging based on Sasuke's age, his brother must have been quite young when he left, barely a man, if even that, and certainly not of turning age. Even Sasuke was rather young for turning, as was generally as young as a human could be turned, barring an immediate and unavoidable threat to their life.

"That's right." Sasuke feels the familiar burn of anger running through his veins. "He abandoned us."

Ah, so this was about confrontation. Sasuke felt betrayed, and he wanted his feelings settled. Gaara had certainly heard of worse reasons to confront another vampire. And after everything he had done, he had no right to judge Sasuke for it. "And this is why you asked Temari to turn you?"

"Yes, it is." Sasuke nods at him. "I'm not going to kill him, if that's what you're worried about. That's too good for him and I'd rather not have to deal with Lord Indra trying to have me staked, but I will make him suffer in the way that matters most. Emotionally."

That certainly sounded like a scheme for revenge, and Gaara had heard it before. "Revenge is a double-edged sword, Sasuke. And in that pursuit, you may wish to dig two graves. Metaphorically speaking, of course." the least he could do was warn Sasuke as to where this sort of goal might lead. "The years have been long, and I learned that same lesson the hard way."

Gaara spoke from experience and despite the fact that Sasuke knew this was what he had to do, they make him pause. If only for a moment. "Who was it for you?" He glances at the red head. "Did you kill them?"

"...Yes, I did kill him." It had been back when he was newly turned, and when a certain man had made the mistake of deciding that Gaara was too dangerous to be allowed to live. "Temari and Kankuro do not blame me for it, but I am the reason our father is long dead and buried. And he in turn is the reason I lost my mind for a time." The reason he spiralled into the depravity and violence of a Ripper.

Gaara had killed his father. For some reason, that shocked Sasuke and yet, it didn't. "I'm sure you have your reasons and even more so, if they don't blame you for it." He tries to comfort him.

"I am aware, but it does not change that because of it, I grew a taste for death and blood that left a great trail of bodies in my wake. It...is not something that I am proud of, nor is it something that I should be so readily forgiven for." And Gaara would certainly never forgive himself for it. "Be very careful, Sasuke. Revenge is a poison that can do terrible things to the mind, even if it is successful."

Did Gaara expect him to forget everything? Sasuke had gone so far as to give up his humanity for the chance to make Itachi feel the way that his brother had on his day. If he didn't do something, then that had been for nothing. "Are you that worried that your sister's doll will get shattered and she'll turn you into her next guinea pig?" Sasuke smirks at him. It was easier to do that than to focus on the topic of conversation. With Gaara, it almost sounded logical just to let sleeping dogs lie, but he couldn't let it all be for nothing...could he?

"No, but I am worried that something will be shattered." Gaara watches Sasuke's expression change from one state to the next almost fluidly. "And I would rather it not be your heart, should something go wrong."

Sasuke smiles at him, but it wasn't a true smile. "You're already too late for that." While it wasn't directed at him, it was such a cold smile that it could have frozen Hell itself. "It might have taken me awhile to become a vampire, but the truth is that my heart was useless long before then. Ever since that day."

And that was what Gaara had been afraid of, where this was all leading. "Then perhaps..." He sighs, shifting carefully across the carriage to sit beside Sasuke. "I think you may require more than what a simple act of revenge might give you."

"What do you think I require then?" Sasuke looks at him. Had anyone else told him that, Sasuke probably would have seen red. Quite literally. He might also have set them on fire, but this was Gaara. For some reason, probably thanks to his eyebrow sacrifice, the raven haired vampire felt compelled to listen to the other vampire. It wasn't a vampire compulsion though, Sasuke would have recognized that. Temari had taught him how to shield himself from such attacks.

He kisses Sasuke gently, pulling away after only a moment. "Love and affection to make up for the ten years you went without his." Clearly, Sasuke had been hurt deeply by his brother's absence, and Gaara knew that nothing would ever fill that hole completely, neither revenge, nor what he could offer Sasuke. but he could try to ease the pain, at least a little. "Temari, Kankuro, and I can give you that."

Sasuke's eyes widen in shock. Gaara was kissing him. Yes, the elder vampire had insinuated that he was 'pretty' and made references about ravishing him, but the raven haired youth had always thought the other man was trying to get a rise out of him. He hadn't been serious and yet, he had just kissed him.

The gentleness and chasteness of the kiss left him feeling confused though. "You don't have to kiss me to keep me from doing something foolish." It felt as though it was supposed to provide comfort and Gaara was speaking of a familial bond, but family members didn't kiss each other on the lips.

Seeing as Sasuke didn't protest the kiss, Gaara gives him another, this one a little less chaste, but still only brief. "I said that we could give you love and affection, but I never said that kisses were meant to keep you from doing something foolish." He presses yet another kiss to the confused young vampire's lips. "They are because I find you endearing and compelling, and magnificently beautiful."

He shouldn't let himself be so easily distracted. Sasuke had given up his humanity to make Itachi pay and yet, the feeling of Gaara's seductive kisses was making that mission seem almost like an afterthought as he tentatively kisses back. "I can't really describe...how I feel about you." Gaara's kisses were reducing his vocabulary to absolute rubbish. "I know that I feel more for you than I have for anyone else in a long time, but I can't make any promises." He wouldn't lie to Gaara, but he wasn't sure that he could just give it up either.

"No promises, just the moment." Gaara had long since learned that spoken promises could be easily broken, and the only ones that counted were the unspoken ones made by the heart. He strokes a thumb across Sasuke's cheekbone, fingers weaving into dark hair as he depeens the kiss no presses further, deeper into the young vampire's mouth with a gentle, questing tongue.

Sasuke moans into the kiss. The things that the red head could do with his mouth ought to be illegal. His mortal family would have said they were blasphemous, but that just made his desire burn even brighter. Just this moment. Just the two of them. Gaara didn't need him to promise to give up his revenge. It was safe.

And for just this moment, Gaara tugs Sasuke into his lap, holding the young vampire close to him as he plunders the raven's mouth. "Perhaps I said only a moment, but..." He smirks smugly. "We have two days left in this carriage." Perhaps they could spend it getting to know each other a little better.

"Yes, we do." Sasuke swallows hard. "I...well, we'll see where each moment takes us." He didn't want to admit something to Gaara, but if whatever this was progressed much further the red head was bound to find out that he was an innocent in one critical respect.

Gaara could agree to that. "One step at a time." And he seals their mouths together once more as he captures Sasuke lips in a passionate kiss.

* * *

Dark, imposing stone towers rise up the slope of the mountain from the lakeshore where the boats were docked. The battlements stand guard over the gatehouse, the polished iron gate raised and locked into place as small groups of vampires and their entourages filter into the giant main courtyard. And further up the slope, a gilded citadel of slate-grey stone, accented with gleaming white marble and shining gold, rises high above the many large stone buildings within the powerful forty foot walls. Crimson banners hung along the walls, proclaiming their lord for all to see, bearing the lord's crest proudly.

Within the walls, low-built structures and twirling towers sat against the inside of the stone monument. Humans, demons, and other creatures of note bustle to and from the widely spaced buildings, dressed for work, unlike the lavishly dressed driving guests. Compact, but not cluttered, efficient, but with plenty of room to breathe. Decorated top to bottom in reds and golds that stood out as well-placed highlights against the rising stone.

And every line worked to direct the eye up to the magnificent citadel, with its tall, wide towers from which impossibly long banners of crimson and violet hung across the grand courtyard up to the middle ring of the citadel's central tower! surrounded by smaller courtyards, terraces, and balconies. The spiralling tower's lines of buttresses stood tall, the dragons poised as though ready to take flight at any moment. Every ornament spoke of power and wealth, and it was flaunted tastefully, with just a touch of arrogance.

"I can almost understand why he was so eager to leave us behind now." Sasuke stares in awe. "It's beautiful here." Mildly terrifying, but beautiful all the same. Besides, there was no reason why he shouldn't explore before finding Itachi. If he was going to do this, it was imperative that he memorize every nook and cranny in this place.

Gaara nods lethargically. It had been a long two days making the journey here on foot, and he had never been particularly fond of boats. But the castle was inaccessible any other way. Perhaps that was why Indra chose to build it here. "Yes. He may be a great vampire who prefers the night, but let it never be said that Indra has poor or dreary taste in decor."

That was true. Though what vampire didn't prefer the night? For it was within the cool embrace of the night air, that vampires truly belonged. "That's true." Sasuke looks around. "Are familiar are you with the layout?"

"Familiar enough to find where I want to go." It had been an exceedingly long time since Gaara had last been here, but he could find his way into the citadel and into one of the many guest wings easily enough. "But if you would prefer a tour I would suggest asking one of the stewards."

"Perhaps we should both get a tour then." He smiles at Gaara. If he went alone, then he'd stick out too much in the steward's mind. If the steward thought two lovers just wanted to find the best places to hideaway for a private rendezvous that would work more to his advantage.

The redhead chuckles softly and shakes his head as he strides along the path leading to Indra's home. What on earth was he going to do with his baby vamp? "Very well, I suppose that we could arrange for a tour once we have made our presence known." And they would have to find a steward not too busy with handling the influx of guests to take the time to show them around. "Come, the stewards will be found roaming the citadel."

"Thank you." Sasuke smiles, knowing to some degree Gaara was indulging him. He didn't need the tour, but the younger Uchiha brother did.

The winding walk through the castle town was long and scenic, but Gaara remembered a few shortcuts as a child that cut their journey in half while the rest of their party had gone on ahead. But it was not too much longer before they strode together through the main gates of the citadel and into the courtyard. "If there is anything in particular that you would like to see, be sure to mention it to the steward when we find one."

"I will." The raven haired vampire smiles at him. "What about you? You have any place you wanna see?"

"Our quarters in the southern guest wing." Gaara glances over at Sasuke, his eyes trailing subtly along the lines of Sasuke's form. "And other things I wouldn't mention in public."

Once again, Sasuke wonders if vampires could actually blush. "That's very...practical of you." Well, Gaara wasn't an exhibitionist.

"Yes, I like to think so." The seafoam gaze roams about the atrium, searching for a steward not busy with duties. A flash of silver catches his eye, and he spots an older vampire dressed in black and dark blue with bits of green here and there. "Speaking of someone not so busy..." As if that lazy ass was ever busy doing anything other than reading those books of his. Apparently that much hadn't changed in a hundred years. "He might not be a steward, but that man knows more about this castle than anyone." Maybe even more than Indra himself.

Gaara steps towards the window in which the vampire had perched himself, mask in place, and what was left of his face obscured by his book. "I see that you haven't changed in the least, Kakashi."

Kakashi smiles at him. "Why alter perfection?" He winks at him and Sasuke barely manages not to roll his eyes in response. "What can I do for you, Lord Gaara?"

Gaara, on the other hand, feels no such compunction as he quite openly rolls his eyes. "Sasuke and I would like a tour of the castle grounds. I trust that you're not busy running errands for Indra at the moment?"

"No errands, and all of my chores are done for the day." Namely, the chore of herding off one little human and his overprotective shark demon almost-lover. Kakashi snaps his book shut cheerfully, his sharp eyes glancing over the young man standing next to the redhead. Sasuke, he'd said. And if memory serves, this young man looked startlingly like a certain child who had screamed at his charge several years ago... "It's nice to meet you, Sasuke. I am Kakashi Hatake, a...knight, I suppose you could say, here in Lord Indra's castle. I also serve the roles of instructor, messenger, and...guardian."

Did Kakashi recognize him, Sasuke wonders? Probably not. It had been years, but he recognized him. Still, he had a part to play. "Likewise." He smiles at Kakashi slyly. "I would say that Gaara speaks highly of you, but well he's never mentioned you to me before."

Kakashi chuckles as stows his book way, ambling off towards the doors of the citadel. "That's not a surprise. I'm hardly a favourite topic of conversation. I'm simply the butt of everyone's jokes about being lazy or reading too many erotic novels." The first of which he would contest. The second...he would happily admit to. "Now, you wanted to see outside the citadel, is that right?"

Sasuke nods at him. He had to be polite to the vampire who had taken his brother away from him. Fate could be a cruel mistress sometimes. Well, most of the time really." He smiles, showing his fangs. "It's my first time at the castle and I'm eager to explore."

The elder vampire stops in his path and shoots the boy a wry smile. Itachi...was not going to be happy about this. "Then perhaps we should leave the outer castle for tomorrow, and begin with a tour of the inner castle today. We have only a few hours until dinner, and it would take the better part of a day to show you all that the outer castle has to offer." His eyes flick to Gaara and watch the two consideringly. "And perhaps you can make good use of some of the alcoves during your stay."

Gaara smirks smugly. "Perhaps."

Sasuke suddenly finds his boots rather interesting. "That does sound...advisable." His plan must be working if Kakashi already thought them to be lovers.

"Also, Sasuke..." Kakashi looks over his shoulder as he turns in a new direction, this time towards the west wing of the castle. "You may wish to tighten your collar. Your lovebites are a tad...obvious."

He was going to die of humiliation and he hadn't even been inside the castle for a day yet. "Oh." Still, he quickly adjusts his collar. He wanted people to believe he was Gaara's lover, but not to make the relationship THAT obvious.

"Now, on with the tour." Kakashi's expression brightens behind his mask even as his heart sank a little. It seemed that Itachi's efforts were coming undone, and his charge didn't even know it yet.


	7. Chapter 7

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 7

Perhaps it was the years that Gaara had been away that did it, or maybe Indra added some new wings to the castle in the time since his last visit, but the redhead didn't remember the castle taking nearly this long to explore. Or perhaps it was simply due to Kakashi's haphazard style of navigation. They must have been through every wing twice by now, and yet, every time they passed something familiar, there was something new to see. A hidden passage, a secret alcove, a false door, or a door concealed by a painting. To call this castle convoluted would be putting it mildly.

"And in this hall...we have a dead end." Kakashi smiles cheerfully. "It's one of the most secluded places in the castle, but the windows here lead directly onto the roof. It's a wonderful place for watching the stars. And it's possible to see right to the mountains from there."

That actually sounded rather romantic. "Good to know." Sasuke might bring Gaara here sometime after he had punished Itachi.

"Yes, it is." Gaara could also think of some things he could do with Sasuke under just the watch of the stars.

But his mind wanders, drifting as Kakashi begins waxing on about the three secret passages that connected to this hallway alone. Gaara had no interest in more secret passages for now, he'd already catalogued nearly thirty of them that would be suitable for pulling Sasuke into for a midnight tryst.

No, instead, he wanders around the corner of this hall and into the dead end just past the windows. And he froze when he came upon a large, dark portrait. Done in oil paints, and clearly life sized, it showed an adolescent boy with short, soft black hair that framed his pale face, and deep onyx eyes. His expression was almost...disturbingly blank, like a porcelain doll that had been specially crafted and painted to look so innocent, and yet...so hauntingly beautiful that it seemed almost sad.

At the sight of his brother, Sasuke bites his lower lip so hard that he could taste his own blood. There was no mistaking that man for anyone else. His brother had done well for him, if Indra had commissioned a portrait for him. So why did he look so sad? Never mind. It didn't matter. Sasuke would give him a damn good reason to be.

Kakashi sighs quietly as he turns the corner to see the two younger vampires looking at the portrait that few ever did. "Lord Indra had that portrait done nine years ago, after his ward had grown accustomed to the castle." And stopped spending all day every day locked away in his room. "He sat perfectly still and quiet the entire time he was told to. A good, obedient child."

Gaara shoots a warning look at Kakashi, but he could detect no lie in the elder vampire's words. The pieces had clicked into place the moment Sasuke had turned that corner and Gaara saw the look on his face. This was Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's older brother, preserved forever in a beautiful oil painting of an innocent child.

Obedient to vampires apparently. Itachi thought nothing of leaving his family, but Sasuke knew that he had play his part. So he nods as he searches for something that wouldn't be unusual to say. "It's a good portrait." He pauses. "Not that I expect anything less from an artist commissioned by Indra."

"Of course." Kakashi frowns slightly, frustrated by the younger brother's determined sense of calm, belying the boiling anger he could sense beneath it. Bells ring out, one for each house invited to Indra's court. "That would be the summons to dinner." Kakashi gestures back down the hall and away from the portrait. "Come, I will guide you to the banquet hall."

"It's fine, Kakashi. I remember well the way back." Gaara nods slightly, sweeping away from the portrait, glancing back once at his own ward. "Sasuke, come." It wouldn't impress the court for them to be late for dinner.

"Thank you for the tour." He forces himself to smile at Kakashi as he follows Gaara off.

Heaving another sigh, Kakashi ruffles his spiky hair as he watches the two vampires disappear from sight. Wonderful...now he had to fetch Itachi and make sure that the banquet hall remained in one piece when the two brothers finally came face to face once again.

* * *

It didn't take them long to arrive at the banquet hall. To say the least, it was a grand affair. Even though it wasn't his primary concern, it was hard not to note all the feeders, bloodwine, and food laid out so exquisitely on every table with the beautiful music playing in the background.

Gaara's retinue sat at a private table set for the nine of them, along with plates of food set aside for any feeders they might wish to have join them. The enormous banquet hall was littered with such tables for the various noble parties and their entourage. They encircled the middle of the room, where a large space was left open and bare, as though waiting for a decoration that had not been delivered yet.

He turns to Sasuke, who sat quietly next to him whilst observing the scene. "I take it that you do not see him yet?"

"Not yet." Sasuke shakes his head. "I'm not going to do anything." There were far too many people around and hopefully, his mask would be enough to hide him from Itachi's eyes until he could get his brother alone.

He wasn't going to do anything now, but Gaara wasn't an imbecile. He knew that Sasuke would simply bide his time until he had a chance to act. "Just remember to be cautious. Your brother has been living in this castle for ten years. He may not react as you expect him to."

Sasuke nods at his companion. He'd be cautious. Sasuke had waited far too long to blow his chance of revenge by being too hasty. "I will." He looks at the red head. "You don't need to worry about me so much."

"Oh, I think I do." Gaara smirks as he slides a hand concealed by the tablecloth up Sasuke's thigh and leans in to ghost his lips over the young vampire's ear. "After all, if anyone should have cause to worry about you, I think it should be me."

It was emotional whiplash to go from plotting his brother's ultimate humiliation to feeling the other vampire's lips against his ears. Whispering such suggestive things. "I'm not really sure how to respond to that." Sasuke tries to suppress a shiver, but it definitely wasn't one of fear.

"Hm...I think just like that is perfectly fine." Gaara nips Sasuke's ear gently, even as his own ears catch the sound of the doors opening, and several pairs of booted feet stepping lightly across the floor. The hushed whispers racing about the hall told him who it was without even needing to look.

But look he did as Indra entered the hall himself with his retinue, a number of older vampires accompanying him and painting a rather regal picture as the vampire lord strode through the middle of his own hall. "Look closely, Sasuke. Remember that face well."

Definitely whiplash. "I will." He promises Gaara as he watches the vampire lord's entrance. Everyone, no matter their station or age was doing the same.

Gaara also took note that, as Indra sat at the head table, Kakashi brought of the rear of the final procession, followed closely by a tall young man garbed all in black, accented with red and gold, and sporting familiar black hair tied back into a low, waist-length ponytail. His expression was entirely blank, not a single emotion to be found there. And he did not make a single sound as he seemed to glide across the floor. Not one...except for the distinct beating of his heart as he took a seat directly at Indra's side.

That couldn't be right. Sasuke could see Itachi, but that couldn't possibly be his brother. That man had a heartbeat. That couldn't be true though. Itachi couldn't be a human after spending ten years in Indra's court. Could he?

Letting his gaze wander, Gaara frowns as many pairs of eyes linger of the human sitting at Indra's side. A collection of jealousy, anger, hatred, and lust could be found, the usual to be found in this pit of vipers. Though by searching the face of a large blue demon sitting at one of the tables across the hall, Gaara found that at least one person here was displeased with the human's treatment. His voice remains low as he conceals it from the crowd. "It seems that Indra's human pet is not a particularly popular figure here..."

"I think it's more his heartbeat that's the issue." Sasuke's voice was almost imperceptible even to himself. "How is this possible?"

"You were turned young. It is not uncommon for a Sire to wait until their charge is fully grown and well into adulthood before the turn." That, and a vampire was more likely to be turned young if it was by their request. The youngest vampires Gaara had seen were Sasuke and himself, at least in terms of physical age. But still...to be in a castle full of vampires a whole ten years without being turned... It certainly explained why half the court seemed to hate him, while the other half seemed unable to keep their hands and fangs off of him.

"That just makes it better, I suppose." His 'brother' had likely suffered horribly at court. "He went from being the prodigy to being lucky not to wind up someone's dinner."

Gaara's eyes travel back over the human's clothes. "The high collar is a signal to the court that he is not to be fed on." No skin save for his hands and face were displayed, nowhere that would typically be used as a feeding spot. "Indra always has been possessive of his pets. It wouldn't surprise me if multiple attempts have been made."

"Oh I know that he's not a feeder." Itachi was too proud to let such a thing happen to him. "It can't be easy being a human in a predominantly vampire court." That's what Sasuke had meant. Itachi had willingly lived on the fringes of vampire society for a decade. He had suffered, even if he hadn't been bitten.

"No, it's not. They often end up playing the part of someone's personal feeder to gain favour or tossed from one one noble to the next in an attempt to find a patron. As your brother seems to have one, he's likely the most resented person in this room. To be human and kept so close to the lord of this court is...unheard of. It is surprising that he hasn't been assassinated yet." Though Gaara suspected that it was not for lack of trying. The way that the human's eyes remained just a touch lower in submission spoke of non-aggression, an attempt to minimize contact in order to preserve his life. Likely because it had been threatened before.

It was confusing. To enjoy Gaara's touch, but to hear the red head express what Sasuke was almost certain was sympathy for the human. He wanted to feel angry with him, but mostly confusion and hurt was swirling inside him. It almost felt like his almost lover was taking Itachi's side.

"Welcome everyone." Indra smiles and claps his hands. "It gladdens my heart to see you all here. Now, let us feast and enjoy a night of revelry befitting of all my subjects and our distinguished guests."

The noise in the hall instantly escalated, chatter breaking out across the tables as the food was passed around. Bloodwine in particular, was flowing freely amongst the nobility, and the feeders, who had once been quiet, began working their own charms on the guests. Though Gaara shook his head at their foolishness. Only true idiots found pleasure in courting death the way they were. It seemed to him like the only intelligent human was the one sitting at Indra's table.

* * *

Itachi sat silently, covertly observing the room as the nobles fussed, careful not to catch anyone's eye as he ate quietly. He had warned Kisame not to make a scene tonight, no matter what looks the nobles might give him, or what things they might say. If they made advances, he would brush them off. If they had not heard the rumours, or simply did not believe them, then he would be the one to deal with them. And only if Itachi signalled him, was Kisame to step in to help.

Because Itachi was under no illusions that if Kisame had to step in and help, a fight might break out in the middle of dinner. Again.

Kisame sighs as he watches Itachi. He was coiled more tightly than a cobra about to strike. He should be enjoying the feast, he usually did. The shark demon just couldn't though. Not when it was clear his prospective mate was so miserable.

Nagato notes the reaction and frowns slightly. "If he requires your help, he will call for you. Once the first hour has passed, no one will expect him to stay. You can spirit off your little 'dolphin' then."

"I know, I know." Kisame sighs as he downs a glass of wine. "It's just hard to watch him like that is all."

Yes, it brought no pleasure to Nagato to see either, but the young man was doing admirably, considering the situation. The weight of the court's approval, or disapproval, could often make it very easy or very difficult to exist in this castle. "But he is stronger than even he believes. He will make for a powerful and proud vampire when Indra turns him and he no longer has to bow before others. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool."

At the head table, Itachi had stayed behind as Indra wandered off to properly greet his guests and go about his politicking with the nobles. He paid attention, of course, but at the moment, he preferred to simply finish his meal, and then leave as soon as socially acceptable.

Orochimaru smiles as he sits down next to Itachi. "You're looking well." How Indra hadn't turned the man yet was beyond him. At twenty-three, Itachi was an adult by the human metric.

So much for leaving as soon as was socially acceptable. Itachi keeps his sigh on the inside as he turns politely to the much, much older vampire. "And you, Lord Orochimaru." Which was a blatant lie. The man looked ghastly with his bone white skin and yellow eyes. Not to mention that tongue... Itachi wanted no part of this man within a hundred paces of him. But clearly, that wish was not to be granted tonight. "My apologies, as you can see, My Lord has left the table. I believe that he can be found speaking with Lady Akane at this moment."

"He always did have exceptional taste." Orochimaru's eyes drift over Itachi's form appreciatively. "Though at the moment, I'm more interested in you than him or Lady Akane. No offense to our Lord, of course."

Kisame feels himself twitch. He really wished that Itachi didn't insist on subjecting himself to this sort of thing. It was hell on his instincts. His instincts that wanted to rip Orochimaru's throat out for daring to look at his potential mate that way.

Of course Orochimaru wanted to bed him. Itachi wished that he could say that was a surprise, but that would be another blatant lie, and he was nearly at capacity. "I'm sorry, but I'm not nearly as well-versed in politics as my Lord. I doubt that I could be much help to you." Now that was merely a small lie, or perhaps only half a lie, Itachi could add that to the pile easily enough. After all, he wouldn't be much help compared to Indra. That didn't make him useless.

"Well, that's nothing that one can't learn in good time." Orochimaru smiles at him as he places his hand on Itachi's thigh. "I can teach you all that and more."

Alright, perhaps a more direct warning might be in order. No need to call for interference, Itachi could handle this on his own. "I believe that Lord Indra intends to have me learn at his side. And as for teaching me anything else..." He takes Orochimaru's hand and lifts it far from his thigh. "I doubt that my lover would appreciate your over-familiarity with me."

"Well, you would hardly be the first to have more than one lover." Orochimaru smiles seductively. "I don't mind sharing, if they don't."

That smile was ghastly, and Itachi was no longer in the mood to play games. His eyes flash red and his voice darkens with the promise of violence. "I have no interest in being your plaything. If you wish to try seducing humans, try one of the feeders. I have NO interest in anything you have to offer." Itachi rises to his feet, abandoning his half-eaten plate of food.

Orchimaru stops him by grabbing on to his hand. "I would reconsider that." He smiles at him slyly. "You'll find that i have many friends and levers of power I can push for those that I favor."

All grew very quiet around Itachi for an instant, his ears buzzing with static. "...You...are not permitted...to touch me." His eyes glow brighter than before, the crimson bleeding out of his left iris and down his cheek. "EVER." A dark burst of fire erupts before him, latching onto the snake-ish vampire's clothes. Itachi doubted that it would be enough to kill the old vampire, but he felt like it would serve as a good enough warning to never come near him again.

Orochimaru screams as much from shock as pain. "The Amaterasu?" He hadn't heard of humans using that for centuries. Not since Indra was mortal himself.

"Yes. I am an Uchiha, after all." Itachi's eyes burn and his blood drips down his cheek to the ground as he strides away and around the table, stalking dangerously towards the doors as a hushed silence falls over the hall. He'd told Kisame before that he could set vampires and demons alike alight with his eyes. It hadn't been a lie.

When he passes from the hall amid the stunned silence, the deafening roar of the large doors slamming shut echoes behind him.

Seafoam eyes watch the human disappear with nothing short of amazement growing in their depths. Judging by the stunned silence, that was not something that the human did often. Or likely, at all. "Interesting...". Though the smell of that human's blood had left an enticingly sweet scent in the air, and he was not the only one who caught it.

The Amaterasu was more legend than anything else at this point. Sasuke hadn't even thought to attempt it himself as a vampire, the fact that Itachi could use it as a human was disturbing. He sighs as he summons a feeder to him. He needed a drink before figuring out what he was going to do about his human brother.

* * *

That had been arguably the longest, though most impressive banquet that Gaara had ever attended. And while his sister was off politicking with the other nobles, she was much better at that than Gaara was, he elected himself to be in charge of seeing that their baby vamp didn't suddenly go charging off on his own from shock.

So he may have...just slightly...almost definitely vamphandled Sasuke a little to get the baby vamp back to his own chambers before the blood sucked from the feeder could be overwhelmed by the sweet scent of the drying drops of Itachi's blood in the hallway.

Gaara sighs as he runs a gentle hand through Sasuke's hair and sits the baby vamp down on the luxurious bed. "It seems that tonight has been full of surprises..."

"I hate him." The words burn brightly in Sasuke's very soul. "Even as a damn human, he still manages to spit in the face of our family by tapping into part of our legacy that was all but forgotten."

Gentle fingers continue to stroke Sasuke's raven locks as Gaara tried to piece together what had happened this night. "But why is he still human? Your story led me to believe that he wanted to become a vampire. He is of age, and if he requested it, I'm certain that Indra would turn him Instead of waiting."

"Maybe, Indra wants him to prove himself somehow." Sasuke allows the touches, but sits on the bed as if frozen otherwise. "Who knows? It matters little. The only thing of consequence I learned tonight is that he can perform the Amaterasu." Itachi being human was a slap in the face, but didn't change his plans.

"And if he were to use it on you?" Somehow, Gaara didn't believe that Itachi would do such a thing, even to his estranged little brother. Not after so patiently trying too warn off the advances of someone who was clearly not going to take no for an answer. "He may or may not be the type to act hastily, but if backed into a corner...you've now seen what he can do. Even as a human."

"I'd have to dodge or I'd die instantly." He shakes his head. "I doubt even a vampire's body could withstand those flames. If he can do it though, I can learn."

"Do you intend to kill him, then?" After all, if those flames were lethal, even to a vampire, then to a fragile human...Itachi wouldn't stand a chance against the flames. And Gaara intended to caution Sasuke on his path, for he wanted his prospective lover neither dead, nor guilt-ridden, should something go wrong.

"Death's too good for him." Sasuke shakes his head. "I was just saying that if he can perform such a feat as a human, I should be able to do the same as a vampire."

"I see." At least Sasuke had a goal, Gaara could support that. "How do you intend to confront him?"

Leave it to that bastard to make even Sasuke's revenge seem out of reach. "I'm not sure yet." He glances at the red head. "His abilities complicate things, but if I don't make a move soon he'll realize I'm at court sooner or later." Itachi was many things, but oblivious wasn't one of them. Mask or not.

"Yes, you were lucky in that he was blinded by his rage and tears of blood. You will need to be careful if you want to retain the element of surprise." Gaara shifts to sit behind Sasuke and presses firm fingers in circles around Sasuke's scalp, his thumbs massaging into the base of the raven's skull. "And he is not the only one. The blue demon who was watching Itachi...he seems to possess an interest in him as well." Not to mention Indra, himself.

Sasuke sighs as he leans into the red head's gentle administrations. "I don't care about the demon, unless he gets in the way." Which was a distinct possibility. "I'm aware that angering Lord Indra is akin to inviting an early demise, but I can't let him get away with everything."

Gaara nods and presses a gentle kiss to Sasuke's forehead. "Then do what you must, and I will be here for you when it is done." He knew better than to offer help directly. This was a matter of pride for Sasuke, and it would do no good to step on it now.

Words were failing him at the moment, but Sasuke had to at least try. "I know that you think that I'm foolish for all of this and I've given you nothing that obligates you to support me in this venture even tentatively, but you persist anyway." Why Sasuke didn't know. Were he in Gaara's position, he wasn't entirely sure he would have done the same. "That means a lot to me." Gaara meant a lot to him, but how far whatever budding feelings he had to the red head extended, he couldn't be certain. It was also hard to truly gauge what was going on in the former ripper's mind.

"Because you've endeared me to you, and I would like to see you come out of this happier than you were before." Gaara knew what it was like to travel a dark road, and it was lonely and hard and full of blood. "I would like to protect you from the sort of darkness that consumes the soul, but for now, all I can do is support you in your goals. And advise you to be careful."

He wasn't really sure how, other than some heated kisses. Sasuke didn't understand Gaara's affection, but it did appear to be deeper than just lust. Though there was obviously plenty of that as well. "You're kinder than you give yourself credit for." He smiles and kisses him. "I don't deserve the affection you've given me, but I'll be careful."

Perhaps right on the first, and wrong on the second, but Gaara would correct Sasuke later. "Good. Now come to bed. After all..." He strokes Sasuke's hair gently, tilting the younger vampire's head to the side so that he can graze his fangs along the pale flesh. "Kakashi believes us to be lovers." Or at least close enough to it.

Sasuke feels his eyes bleed red for a reason far different than usual at the motion. The action should have terrified him to have lethal fangs that close to his neck, but instead it only excited him. "Well, I suppose that we shouldn't confuse Kakashi." Sasuke nods as he settles into the bed.

"Right you are." Gaara chuckles softly as he presses a kiss to Sasuke's neck. Even if Sasuke was here on a mission, and Gaara was here for Indra to look at long enough to ascertain his non-Ripper status, there was no reason that the two of them couldn't make some fun of their own.


	8. Chapter 8

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 8

Three days had passed since he set foot in the castle and in those three days Sasuke had learned many interesting things. There were approximately three hundred and ninety-four 'secret passages' and seven truly secret ones. There were ten wings and several kitchens. There were stables and armories and everything that one could want, but the place Itachi was most likely to be save for his bedroom was in the library. So that's where Sasuke goes. "Probably the only place the shark won't follow him." Sasuke rolls his eyes.

It could be a coincidence, but he doubted it. The blue demon was always within a few feet of his brother. He might be Lord Nagato's official bodyguard, but Kisame held far more interest in the young human. A human who would pay one way or another for what he had done to their family.

The location of the library was no secret, it had one of the largest pairs of doors in the castle. Gilded mahogany stood proudly and didn't make a sound as the giant door slid open, revealing an enormous empty library with bookshelves that rose up to the ceiling, and lecterns scattered about the staggered reading areas.

It was glorious and Sasuke would have liked to explore the ancient tomes that lined its shelves, but for now, he had another quest in mind. Making Itachi suffer. Now, he just had to find him.

But unlike Sasuke's initial assumption, Itachi was far from alone. The human was sitting on one of the desks, pressed there by a familiar blue demon. He had busied himself with kissing a line down Itachi's pale throat once he'd peeled back the high collar and divested Itachi of the embroidered leather jerkin keeping it in place. And despite the razor sharp teeth at his neck, Itachi moaned softly instead of protesting.

Right. There was no doubt as to the nature of their relationship now. Sasuke knew it shouldn't matter, but it did shock him. Itachi certainly liked to live dangerously it seemed.

"Kisame..." Itachi sighs softly. "There's no need to take it so personally. It's been three days." And yet, his demon still seemed more than a little upset over the fact that Orochimaru had made advances towards him. He wasn't the first, and he certainly wasn't the last. Even after his little 'display' at the banquet, he'd had no less than four vampire nobles offer him a place as their lover, or pet, or feeder, or all three.

"Are you sure you don't want me to kill at least a couple of them to send a message?" He leaves a trail of kisses along Itachi's throat. "Maybe, that will make them back off."

"I'm sure." Itachi knew how bad it would look if Nagato's bodyguard started killing off Itachi's 'suitors'. It would bring the court's wrath down on the both of them, and even though Indra would protect him, Itachi didn't feel like playing the villain again. "My required public appearances are largely over, so all we need do is avoid running into the persistent ones, and all will be well."

Kisame didn't like it. Not at all, but he nods all the same. It made Itachi 'happy' to deal with idiots apparently. "Alright. I'll be happy when they're gone though." He caresses the other man's cheek.

"As will I." It's not that Itachi enjoyed dealing with the advances of idiots, it was jJust that he was moving through a very delicate dance, one that would likely end with him dead. Either a vampire, or permanently. "I suppose that you've suspected as much, but...Lord Indra plans to turn me on my twenty-fifth birthday.". It had always been an anxiety-inducing and terrifying eventuality. But...he'd been coming to accept it recently, since meeting Kisame...Itachi was entertaining actual thoughts of immortality.

"I knew he'd turn you, but not when." Kisame tilts his head at that as he considers the other man's words. "Well, how old are you now?

"Twenty-three, I turn twenty-four in five months." Ever since he first arrived here, Itachi had been acting like a clock was ticking, counting down to the moment. When he would lose his humanity. "To be honest...I've always been afraid of becoming a vampire, of existing for centuries without end. So coming to this place was difficult, even if the decision was painfully easy."

"You'll make one sexy bloodsucker." Kisame grins at him. "I wouldn't worry about it too much and it'll make your life easier here." He knew that much for damn sure.

Itachi smiles, laughing softly. "Yes, I suppose I will." Though he doubted that there was very much about him that the shark demon wouldn't consider sexually attractive. "Eternity is suddenly looking much more attractive than it used to."

He smirks at that. Good. Itachi was really starting to come out of his shell and Kisame liked to think that he had played a large role in that so far. "I'm glad to hear it." He kisses him unaware that they had an audience.

Kissing back with a ferocity lost on him in days past, Itachi winds his arms up and around Kisame's neck, tugging the taller man closer. He liked the feeling of Kisame's hands on him, around him, enveloping him as though in a cocoon. It made him feel less raw, less frayed, like he wasn't at all affected by the hatred and lust lavished upon him in equal measure in this place.

This was getting to be too much. Whatever his plans for Itachi were, spying on him in the middle of a lover's tryst wasn't one of them. Though more importantly, Sasuke had just learned something very important about Itachi. His brother hadn't wanted to be a vampire. That thought shakes the foundation of everything he had known and believed for a decade. It didn't make any sense. If Itachi hadn't wanted to be a vampire, why had he gone with Indra? why had he lied, Sasuke wonders he departs from the library in favor of finding his red head. At least around Gaara, things sometimes made sense.

* * *

To his credit, Gaara didn't jump in the slightest when the doors to their chambers burst open, with Sasuke storming into the room as though fleeing the Devil himself. "Sasuke?" Though he worried to think what might have put that look of shock and confusion on his baby vampire's face.

Sasuke bites his lower lip so hard that he could taste his own blood. How could he even begin to explain what he had seen? "I need... distraction." He couldn't. Not now anyway.

Perhaps that is what Sasuke wanted, but Gaara doubted that it was what he needed. Still, he would indulge the newborn for now. He raises his hand towards Sasuke and beckons him towards the bed. "Then come."

"One day, I'd like to be for you, what you are for me." Sasuke smiles as he walks over to Gaara.

"And what am I to you?" Gaara tugs Sasuke into his lap, running his hands over the beautiful raven as he had done so many times these last few nights. And mornings. And...generally all day, whenever he could sneak in a touch.

"My anchor." He'd be lost without the red head. "Without you, I'd just be lost. Temari and Kankuro would try to help, but I don't think they really understand about the desire for revenge."

Something drastic had happened, and Gaara felt concerned about the change it brought about in Sasuke but if an anchor was what he needed, then Gaara would do his best to fill that role right now. "Alright." He pulls Sasuke in, capturing pale lips and biting them softly. "Then let me be your distraction and your anchor."

"Thank you." Sasuke whispers as he eagerly returns his kiss.

Gaara chuckles softly. "There is nothing to thank me for." He enjoyed indulging his almost lover. And soon to be just his lover, if he had any say in the matter. "You need never thank me for showing you the affection that you deserve." He slides his hand up Sasuke's thigh to his hips, pushing the younger vampire down into the covers of the bed as he peppers kisses along the ivory skin.

Sasuke sighs in contentment at sensual and soothing touches. "What do you like?" He smiles slyly at him. "I know that you have some sort of fixation on my hair and you enjoy kissing and biting me, but not much else."

Seafoam eyes glitter darkly. "I think that when you are more comfortable, I should like to chain you up in my room and have my way with you. Perhaps have a sip of your blood and leave scarlet kisses across your skin..." He trails a finger over Sasuke's neck as he loosens the high collar there. These Uchiha did seem to favour their high collars.

"Mmm, I'm not so sure about the chains." He did have a way with words. "Perhaps, if I tied you up instead though the rest does sound intriguing." Sasuke wasn't proud of it but he squirms slightly as Gaara touches his neck, but definitely not from fear.

"I'm sure it does." At the very least, Sasuke's body seemed to have no issue telling Gaara what it thought of those ideas. The redhead cautiously moves the hand upon Sasuke's thigh to gently cup and rub the raven's groin. "I'm also sure that there is much that I could teach you, in those respects."

Sasuke groans at the touch as he instinctively leans into it. "Well, I've always been something of a scholar when it comes to my studies." He understood the theory behind intimacy, but he had yet to apply any of that knowledge in a practical way.

A lascivious smirk curls Gaara's lips as heiresses them to Sasuke's ear and bites down. "Then this should proceed quite smoothly. Be sure to study closely." He wouldn't press too far tonight, but at the very least, he would give Sasuke a proper practical introduction to the carnal arts.

* * *

Kisame sighs as he sneaks downstairs with Itachi for an early breakfast. "I'm telling you that we're being watched." Well, even more so than usual. "I know that you're Indra's favorite human and my beautiful smile attracts a lot of attention, but I still feel like someone has been watching us lately and I don't mean Orochimaru."

Itachi would hope that Orochimaru wasn't watching him now after he'd lit the asshole on fire. "I will keep my wits about me, ever, as it is more likely than not a vampire...they will likely prove rather elusive." It was one of the disadvantages of being a human in a castle full of vampires. His senses were simply not as keenly sensitive as a vampire's. And the night walkers could be dead silent if they so wished.

"Well, I didn't scent arousal from whoever it was." He sighs and shakes his head. "So that's something at least."

Then at least Itachi wouldn't have to watch his backside quite so hard. Well, perhaps that wasn't entirely true, after all there was certainly one person very interested in that particular piece of Itachi. "Yes, I wouldn't want to have to restrain you from terrorizing Lord Indra's guests."

Kisame rolls his eyes as he kisses Itachi. "Those aren't guests." Those were rivals. "Those are walking corpses. Well even more so than usual for vampires." It was only a matter of time before he found a way to kill them without Indra knowing or caring. They wouldn't be inside the vampire lord's walls forever after all.

"Perhaps." Itachi smiles softly, returns the kiss, and then pulls away. "But try not to forget that I will be joining them soon enough." Though he certainly wasn't looking forward to the actual turning. It and it's after-effects were reputedly very unpleasant. "And try not to bleed around me once I have. I'd rather not be tempted to rip you into little pieces."

Kisame smirks at that. "Oh really?" Well, there was that spirit that he loved about Itachi. It was beginning to surface more and more now.

"Yes, really." Itachi rolls his eyes. "Unless you take some sort of thrill in having newborn vampires chasing father you for your blood." Though that did bring up an interesting question. "Is demon blood safe or toxic to vampires?"

"It depends on the type of demon, but mine wouldn't be toxic to you." He smiles as he kisses Itachi's forehead. "Just don't go spreading that around. Neve really hard of many vampires biting shark demons, but yeah."

Well, then in the worst case scenario, at least Itachi wouldn't accidentally poison himself if he bit Kisame in a fit of bloodlust. "And should I ever show signs of losing control..." It wasn't as though Itachi planned on losing control, but one never knew until they had been turned how they would react to the bloodlust. the most composed human could suddenly become a monster, or spilling a great deal of blood might hold no interest for them at all. It was impossible to predict.

"I'll make sure to get away from you so you won't feel guilty." He smiles at him. "Though there are fun ways to lose control."

"Well, I was going to instruct you to restrain me so that I wouldn't be a danger to anyone else." As strong as Itachi knew himself to be, in a physical confrontation, it was clear who was going to be the victor. "But, should you run, I suppose it may prove a sufficient distraction to keep my bloodlust focused and under some semblance of control."

Oh Kisame could think of a few fun ways he could restrain Itachi. "Alright." He smirks and nods. "I can do that too."

The faintest hint of blush touches Itachi's cheeks. it was quite obvious what was going through Kisame's mind at the moment. "At least you've proven that you can follow instructions. Now if only I could teach you how to properly behave yourself."

"You wouldn't want me to properly behave myself." Kisame shakes his head as he pulls Itachi into his arms. "That would be very boring. Wouldn't it?"

Itachi laughs softly. "You're a terrible influence on me." Nonetheless, he leans back into Kisame's embrace and rests his head against one of the demon's broad shoulders, tilting it to the side and baring his neck in a way that he wouldn't dare if Kisame were a vampire. "I'm beginning to think that you enjoy making my thoughts less than pure towards you."

"Only beginning to?" He laughs as he embraces him tightly and his hands wander over the beautiful canvas that was Itachi's body. "Then I must not be doing a proper enough job at being improper. We'll have to fix that."

Perhaps, but Itachi would be damned, and the laughingstock of the court if he allowed that to happen in the hallway on the way to breakfast. "Then let us visit the kitchens first and collect some food. We can retreat to my chambers to eat."

He nods at that. His human could be unexpectedly shy at times. That was fine though. Kisame didn't mind. So he follows Itachi to the kitchen in search of some food.

* * *

In the privacy of his chambers, Itachi cared less for decorum, and ate the cream-stuffed pastries and apple-topped porridge contentedly. His jerkin lay cast off on a nearby chair, and his boots sat just beneath the table on which rested their breakfast, in a semi-orderly fashion.

He lay against the armrest of the sofa, smiling softly as he bit into a pastry filled with strawberry cream. One of the few things that had survived since his childhood was his sweet tooth, which he was careful to indulge on a semi-regular basis.

"I'm not sure how but only you could make eating a fucking pastry look that damn sexy." Kisame laughs as he watches Itachi, waiting for the right moment to corner his prey.

Itachi raises his eyes innocently, cocking his head slightly as he licks some stray cream from his lips. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"I'm pretty sure you do." Kisame closes the distance between them and kisses him. "If they heard you moaning like that, we'd never get a moment's peace. So you can just save those for you and me."

"Mm...that's fine." It wasn't as though Itachi wanted anyone else to hear him like that, anyway. "Do you like it when I moan for my pastries?" He knew that he was being a terrible tease, but Itachi felt like pushing into dangerous territory. New territory. There was never a lack of excitement around this demon, and it made Itachi feel more alive than he had in years.

"Sure, but I would prefer it if you would moan for me instead." He deepens the kiss, happily exploring every corner of his mouth. "I usually don't go for the sweet stuff, but the cream is pretty good. Still, I'd rather hear you scream."

Itachi shivers at the dark promise laced in Kisame's voice, his words. It made him want to play a little, show some defiance. He pulls back from the kiss, a smirk playing about his lips. "And you think you could make me scream?"

"I don't think I can." He shakes his head as amusement dances in his eyes. "I know I can."

"Hm..." Itachi returns the last bite of his pastry to his plate and rises from the sofa, circling slowly around behind it as he trails his fingers up Kisame's large, muscular arm. "And if I said that I required proof of this claim of yours?"

Itachi might be shy, but he knew how to play when he wanted to. "Then I'd be happy to give it to you." He smirks. "Delighted actually."

Raising a single dark, elegant eyebrow, Itachi removes his hand and steps away from the demon, his eyes narrowing slightly in invitation as his fingers wrap around one of his bedposts. "Then present your 'proof'."

 **Warning Lime**

"Suppose you're a little skittish yet of my teeth for the obvious option." He smirks as he pins Itachi to the bed faster than anyone could blink. "So I'll just ease you into it." His pants, well Kisame didn't bother to ease those off of him. He just yanks those and Itachi's small clothes off of the disturbing ease.

Itachi pulls the hem of his tunic down slightly, preserving a little of his modesty. "I am not skittish of your teeth. I simply would rather not risk having my manhood bitten off just yet." Danger was one thing and it could excite Itaachi to a degree. But there was a difference between the excitement of danger and sheer stupidity.

He shakes his head in amusement as he takes Itachi into his hand and begins stroking him. "Believe me, we know how not to bite THAT." Slow and gentle caresses at first, but the rough texture of his hands adds a hint of danger to it.

Inhaling a sharp breath, Itachi's head rolls back onto the crimson covers of his bed. His fingers tremble slightly as he reaches up to Kisame's collar and drags him into a fierce kiss, muffling the groan that escapes his lips.

Kisame kisses back. His tongue coaxing Itachi's into a seductive dance that was all his own as his hands worked their magic. Seeming to know exactly how and where to touch Itachi to drive him crazy without actually giving him a climax. The ultimate sensual tease.

Itachi's hips thrust up into Kisame's hand, desperately seeking out more friction, though he liked to pretend otherwise. "Fucking tease." His tongue slides into Kisame's mouth, wrapping their tongues together as his hands slide down to bunch the fabric around Kisame's shoulders.

"You love it though." He smirks as he returns Itachi's kiss with equal fevor and continues playing with the other man's cock as if he was a skilled musician and Itachi was his violin.

A frustrated groan curls kiss-swollen lips most into a snarl as Itachi bucks up even harder. The fiery pleasure settling within him was growing tight, but this damn demon refused to give him the release he craved. "Kisame!" Why the demon insisted on slowly playing out this entire symphony, Itachi failed to understand. Wasn't it Kisame who was meant to be the impatient one? "Fine." If it meant getting his satisfaction, Itachi would do something stupid. "I don't care about your teeth."

"Well, if you're sure." Kisame smirks at him as he slowly lets go of Itachi's arousal and wraps his mouth around the other ma, somehow managing to keep his teeth away from him as he begins to suck.

Dark eyes roll back in Itachi's head as precum spurts from his turgid length, hear adding an oncoming orgasm. He pants and groans, trying desperately to retain some sort of composure as his hips tremble, his engorged shaft steadily leaking. He'd never felt pleasure this intense before, especially not from his self-ministrations. "Ah!" He could have sworn he felt the threat of teeth for just a moment but it only served to drive him right up to the edge, and then over it. "Kisame!"

Kisame chuckles after licking him clean. "I hope that you found my proof satisfying." He smirks at the other man.

Itachi huffs exasperatedly, lowering a hand to his face to hide his heated cheeks. "...Yes, it was...satisfactory." And he hated how breathy and ravished his parting made him sound. He sounded like a pleasured harlot.

 **End of Lime**

"Good. I'm glad." He smiles at him slyly. "I wouldn't want my teeth to intimidate you."

"I am not afraid of your teeth." Itachi huffs quietly, glaring rather defiantly at the demon who insisted on teasing him. "I had simply taken the prudent approach that allowing sharp objects near sensitive places was inadvisable."

He was simply too adorable to exist sometimes. "Of course." Kisame nods at the young human sagely. "I understand perfectly."

"Good, now come here." Itachi slides back across the bed and under the blankets, holding up the covers invitingly. He wanted the demon's warmth, and he would get it, even if he had to cuddle for it.

Kisame didn't have any problem doing exactly that. After all, he'd have to be pretty stupid to refuse such an invitation.

* * *

Indra smiles as he samples some delicious bloodwine on the other side of the castle. "So what do you think of this year's gathering so far, Nagato?" He trusted his friend's judgement.

"Entertaining." Nagato swirls his own glass of blood and wine. "And perhaps a touch alarming." Not that such a thing was new, but it's cause certainly was. "It seems that you ward is more talented than anyone else believed."

Indra didn't care for the description of alarming. Hmm. This could be dangerous ground. "He's not prone to such displays." Indra sighs as if that explained everything. "Lord Orochimaru just has a habit of getting under one's skin. Surely, you can sympathize. You did work with him for quite some time."

"Unfortunately." Nagato's distaste for the snake ran deep. "But it certainly casts your ward in a new light. I know for a fact that the whispers concerning when you plan to turn him are increasing."

"Those whispers have always been there." Indra's eyes narrow. "They know what happens to those who dare to touch what belongs to me and have seen his power. Only a fool would do more than whisper." Hell even whispering was courting death, but he couldn't be bothered to kill every last vampire whose tongue wagged too freely. If he did that, he'd have time for nothing else.

"What belongs to you, hm?" Nagato chuckles softly. "I happen to know of a demon who might contest that claim. They tend to be rather territorial, as well as fiercely protective."

He rolls his eyes at that. "You know what I meant." Itachi was the closest thing to a son that Indra had, whether or not the human accepted that fact. "I'm glad that he has found someone to his liking. I was being to become mildly concerned by his lack of interest in that arena." Perhaps Kakashi's 'rejection' had stung too much.

Nagato nods slowly. "He is young, human, and appears to have few friends here. Perhaps he simply had no one close enough to develop an interest in. Save for Kisame and Kakashi, he seems a rather solitary creature."

How much of that was natural and how much of that was out of self-preservation, Indra couldn't say. It did trouble him though. "I hope becoming a vampire will help him feel more at ease." That and soothe the ruffled feathers at his court. "My favoring him appears to have been a double edged sword."

"It would appear that way." Nagato pitied the boy, truly. It could not have been easy to grow up in such demanding conditions. "And you still intend to wait unil next summer before turning him?"

He sighs as he bites his lower lip. "It seems that waiting that long would be unwise, but I don't want to turn him around this many unfriendly vampires." Being a newborn was traumatic enough. "I shall wait until the festivities have concluded."

"I see." Nagato would be lying if he said that the decision was a surprise. "Then I will extend my visit. I'm certain that Kisame will wish to be here to watch over his intended during the transition."

"You're always welcome in my home." Indra smiles at him. "You know that, and that extends to your bodyguard. Itachi is fond of him and I wouldn't destroy the only romantic relationship the boy has ever had." To his knowledge anyway. it was doubtful, but possible that the boy had feelings for someone before coming to court.

"Good." Nagato sips at his wine, pleased with this turn of events. "In which case, I believe that there will be more instances of Kisame sneaking out early to take Itachi to breakfast. And if he truly believes that I did not notice, then I should have a healer summoned to check his eyes." Or perhaps his brain. "He is acting like a guppy in love."

"Love has a way of making us all guppies." Indra shakes his head. "I've witnessed that more times than I can count, but I'm pleased that you're pleased."

Nagato chuckles. "Yes, well, in any case, I believe that it would be prudent to warn the boy ahead of time. Springing such a decision on him might prove to be a significant shock."

Indra nods at that. "You're right." Though he wasn't certain how he would tell Itachi or when the most opportune time would be.


	9. Chapter 9

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 9

It had taken a surprising amount of time to discover which courtyard Indra's pet human used for training, but at Sasuke's request, Gaara had done so, and found that one of the upper terraces was Itachi's preferred training site. And judging by the way that the steel blade flashed through the air, fending off the giant monster of a 'blade' and its demonic owner, Itachi's preferred sparring partner was his lover, Nagato's shark demon bodyguard. It was a rather unexpected, but interesting piece of information.

The door to the terrace was left open, allowing the two vampires access to the almost deserted courtyard. Though Gaara did indeed take note of Kakashi sitting off to one side with his book, watching covertly over the young human in his care.

"Are you certain that you wish to confront him this way?" Gaara saw the wisdom in approaching this way in order to get close without arousing much suspicion, but also the foolishness in potentially creating a conflict between his pride and his brother's.

"If you have another option, I'm listening." Sasuke keeps his voice low enough so that even Kakashi's undoubtedly keen ears wouldn't hear it.

Gaara shakes his head, keeping his eyes fixed on the human fighting diligently, gracefully, flawlessly. "No, but I will stay and watch, just to be sure that none interfere." He would take on the role of explaining to the large blue demon, if that was what was required of him.

He shoots a grateful look at Gaara and nods as he approaches Kisame and Itachi. It was a good thing his heart no longer beat because it would have beaten out of his chest by now.

The two combatants pause as the stranger approaches, and Itachi shoots the newcomer a questioning look. "...Is there something that you require here?" He glances at the redhead, recognizing him to be one of the vampires who had, thus far, not tried to proposition him, and had been nothing but respectful in the few, passing encounters they had had. The one wearing the mask, however, was either a new addition, or simply a member of the lord's party that Itachi had not noticed before.

"Require, no." Sasuke mentally congratulates himself of performing an impossible task, keeping his voice level while talking to Itachi. "Though if you're interested, I should like to challenge you to a friendly match." Whatever he felt for the other man now, it wasn't as polite and neutral as his voice was intended to convey.

Itachi blinks in surprise, but lowers his sword and takes a step back from Kisame, nodding his assent. "As you wish." He glances at Kisame and gestures for his almost-lover to move back.

"As I challenged you, you may choose the rules." Sasuke looks at him, grateful for the change in his voice. He was no longer a boy of eight, but a man of eighteen years. Itachi would never recognize his voice at the very least.

Gracious, and Itachi would take it when facing one who was no doubt a vampire. "Swords and any other bladed weapons you might have on your person only. I will restrict my magic, save for what is required to match you in speed and strength, you will refrain from any acts of compulsion or drinking of blood. The first to draw blood is the victor." He smirks slightly. "And I would suggest that you refrain from using the challenge to first blood too liberally, as I have a rather overprotective shark who likes to jump to my defence."

"So I've noticed." Sasuke draws his sword. "The rules are agreeable and should you yield, I will cease my attacks."

Itachi raises a curious eyebrow, amusement showing in his gaze. "And should you yield, I will offer you the same courtesy." His sword tip follows the movement of his opponent's draw, ready to move at a moment's notice.

Knowing his brother was still human changed things. He'd likely expect a full frontal assault as vampires naturally had the upper hand in strength and speed. So Sasuke veers off to the side as he raises his blade. So fast was he that the soil and grass underneath his feet was uprooted as he sprints closer and closer towards his elder brother's side.

Itachi's eyes flash red, tracking the vampire's movements as he pivots in place. He draws his sword up and around to catch the blade fast approaching from the side. This vampire was one who favoured catching their opponent off guard. But it was not a tactic that was new to Itachi.

Sasuke jumps back when Itachi's sword met his own. He would have expected a vampire to continue charging. So instead he does a side ways flip and lobbies a kick towards his midsection.

Crimson eyes widen, and Itachi shifts his blade from his right to his left hand, freeing up his right arm to block the kick. Then he brings his blade down, targeting the vampire's right shoulder, as that appeared to be his sword arm.

Damn Itachi. Even as a human he had to be annoying, luckily Sasuke has vampire speed on his side. He was able to weave to the side and make a slashing motion at Itachi. He just needed to draw first blood, not kill him.

Itachi flicks his sword around, just catching the blow an inch from his cheek with the blade already close enough to save him. He was as proficient wielding the sword in his left hand as he was his right, but the speed behind the blow was impressive, even for a vampire. This was no ordinary vampire. He had training, and a lot of it. "You're a warrior."

"You could say that." Truth be told, he didn't have any real interest in fighting beyond making Itachi pay and protecting himself from any supernaturals who might have a go at a young vampire. "I've found titles don't matter nearly as much as people seem to think they do though." The bastard had blocked that blow as well.

So Sasuke jumps into the air, taking his sword with him. He spins around about half a foot above Itachi's head, before landing in front of him. He doesn't waste time as he charges towards him head on, hoping that his acrobatic display would disorient the human enough to get the blow in that he wanted.

Disorient, no, but Itachi recognized it, and his eyes widen as he grips the hilt of his sword tightly, slashing his sword up to meet the other's and ignoring the pain that lances through his palm and wrist as the sharp clanging of swords beings them to a stalemate as he presses back, taking an offensive step forward. It couldn't be...that maneuver was one that Itachi himself had used as a child. And only one person had seen him demonstrate it in training.

Pressing his momentary advantage, Itachi draws his dagger into his right hand, slashing at the other's face not to draw blood, but to slice through the mask obscuring his opponent's features from him.

What was revealed made him freeze in his tracks, his mind spinning with denial. "No..."

Damn it. He had gotten too cocky. Itachi had just sliced through his mask and judging by the horrified look on his face, his brother had recognized him and now knew that Sasuke was a vampire. He didn't know what to say. Maybe in a way, this counted as his revenge. His brother who had claimed to care nothing for him, certainly felt something for him today. Horror was an emotion. That counted as suffering, didn't it? Was it enough though, he wonders.

Itachi lowers his sword, and the dagger in his grip falls from his fingers and into the grass. This...couldn't be possible. After everything he had done, there should be no reason for this boy to want anything to do with him anymore. He shouldn't be here. Sasuke shouldn't BE here. "How..." What had gone wrong? Had he been forcibly turned? Who was it that had turned his beautiful, innocent baby brother into...this?

"Does it matter?" Sasuke watches Itachi closely, not sure what to think or feel anymore. "You said our clan was dead to you. You're talking to a ghost." Well, that may not have been the best way to put it. Ghosts did exist and while Sasuke hadn't had the chance to interact with one, Temari and Kankuro both claimed they had. Still, it was the principle of the thing.

Staring silently at his foolish little brother, Itachi releases his painful grip on his sword. It falls into the grass, blood droning the hilt. Itachi's blood from where he gripped the sword far too hard, and the last impact had split his palm open. Several things occurred to Itachi at once. Including all of the words that he would never forget. "...I feared that you might doom our clan to come rescue me." He lowers his eyes, the ingrained habit proved difficult to forget so quickly. "I did not intend for you to come here to seek me out."

"No, you just intended to abandon us or so you said." The way he was acting spoke volumes to Sasuke. "I suppose it shouldn't surprise me to learn that was just yet another lie. Do you even know what the truth is anymore?"

Perhaps not. So much had changed in ten years that Itachi was having trouble picking out even the small truths anymore. "I know that when I was thirteen years old, I was given a choice. I had to choose between my freedom, and the lives of our clansmen." And he'd valued their lives over his own freedom. "One does not refuse Lord Indra a third time without dire consequences..."

So it had been a threat then. "Had you told me that instead of lying to me, perhaps I would have understood." Sasuke frowns. "I might have even volunteered to go with you, if he had wanted me as well." It was obvious why Itachi hadn't wanted that now though. "I don't know who you are anymore, but I know that you'll likely snoop into our family's affairs since you know I'm here."

Itachi was nothing, if not resourceful. The fact he had survived this long as a human in a vampire court spoke volumes. "If you would have been worried about our Clan having an heir, that was all for naught." His smile turns bitter. "Your departure devastated our parents, but they had each other and I'm not longer the youngest of our family. Our siblings are both healthy and obviously, still human." They were too young to be turned and Sasuke wasn't entirely sure whether they would be when they came of age or not, or if he wanted them to be.

He loved them. So Sasuke didn't want to leave them behind, but perhaps it was better to let nature run its course? In any case, they had awhile to decide before any sane vampire would even consider turning them. They were simply too young. There were rules against that sort of thing.

Itachi blinks bemusedly. Siblings? They had...siblings... "I see." Perhaps, then, it would have been better to take Sasuke with him, if this was going to be the result either way. "I had asked Kakashi not to tell Lord Indra that you showed promise. Had he known, he would likely have asked for you as well. Our parents were losing one child, and I did not want them to lose a second. Nor did I want you to follow me to this place. Life here is...difficult." And painful, hurtful, lonely...Itachi had barely kept his sanity intact in this place. "I did not want to drag the most important person in the world to me into this."

"I could lie to you and say that had you told me the truth then, I would have been a good little human and waited there." Sasuke rolls his eyes. "I would have found a way to become a vampire either way. The only difference would have been the motivation." Love or hatred, it mattered not. He would have become a vampire either for or because of Itachi Uchiha. "I suppose in your own twisted way, if what you say is true, you were trying to protect me."

"...Yes." Itachi's gaze lowers to the ground. Perhaps it had been twisted, but it had been born of the desperation of a thirteen year-old boy, backed into a corner with the lives of his entire family at stake. "...I have no right to ask you to forgive what I said, but to protect our family, I would not take back what I did."

Sasuke sheathes his sword. "I suspect then for the moment, we've both said all that we have to say on the matter." Leave it to Itachi to ruin even his revenge. The young vampire didn't know what to think or feel anymore. If he should pity Itachi or revile him. Though he did know one thing, killing Itachi wasn't an option with Lord Indra in the equation and the shark demon could also prove to be a nuisance.

"I suppose that is true." Itachi wouldn't press if Sasuke didn't want to speak with him. He certainly deserved all of Sasuke's ire. Still, as he glances at his palm, Itachi smiles. "You've grown so much..." He holds out his hand, revealing the smear of blood across his palm. "You drew first blood."

Yes, he had. Sasuke smirks at that thought for a second before his instincts begin to wreak havoc on his mind. He had only been a vampire for a few months and the sight of blood and the scent of it was enough to make him act impulsively. He grabs Itachi's hand and quickly presses his lips against it. Lapping at the blood. No longer was Itachi, Itachi. He was a delicious wine of some kind and Sasuke was hungry. So he bites into his prey.

Itachi flinches slightly as fangs sink into his palm. The hand was not a preferred place for feeding. A great many nerves, though few of which were for pleasure, and the blood flowed too slowly, requiring a deeper, more painful bite. The fingers of his right hand rise to his collar, unlatching the hooks there that kept it upright and peeling it away from his unmarked neck. "Sasuke..." His little brother looked so hungry, but he knew he could stop him if Sasuke began taking too much.

Sasuke extracts his fangs, then sinks them deeply into the other man's neck. He was running on instinct. He was thirsty and the blood was good. He wasn't sure why it was so good, but it felt oddly soothing. Familiar somehow.

Itachi holds Sasuke close, cradling his brother in his arms as Sasuke drew blood from his throat. He had always thought that his first time acting as a feeder would be traumatic, but this was...intimate, soothing. Perhaps his younger self had been unable to care for Sasuke the way he needed, but he could care for Sasuke like this, for the brief moment it was sure to last. He runs his fingers through Sasuke's hair, murmuring softly in his little brother's ear. "I love you, Sasuke...I love you so much..."

Sasuke hears the words, but he doesn't know how to respond to him. Itachi sounded sincere, but he didn't know if he could trust someone who had been lying to him for years. Still, his blood tasted good and Itachi was willingly giving it to him. He'd worry about the implications later.

Gaara allowed the siblings to bond for a few long moments longer, but he recognized the early signs in the elder brother that indicated that it was time to stop Sasuke. Otherwise, Itachi could face some serious health repercussions. He glances at the giant blue demon and nods towards the brothers. Then he steps forward quietly, smiling grimly as he notes the slightly glazed look in Itachi's eyes. "Sasuke..." He places his hand on his beloved's shoulder. "You must stop now. Your brother should not lose much more blood."

Sasuke had been not quite gorging himself on blood, but drinking happily until someone broke him out of his trance so to speak. He reluctantly releases his mouth, growling his annoyance at the voice who dared to interrupt his meal. "Gaara?" That was until he recognizes the red head.

Said redhead nods and gently pulls Sasuke away, watching carefully as Itachi wobbles slightly, only to be held up by his giant blue demon. "If you require a feeder, perhaps someone more experienced would be best."

Itachi glares as best he can at the redhead, but the effect was ruined by the dazed state in which he found himself. "I was fine...he could have taken more."

"Once a liar, always a liar." Sasuke sighs as his wits slowly come back to him. "You would have died, had Gaara not stopped me." The odd thing was that Sasuke no longer knew whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing.

Itachi had made him think that he had abandoned their family. His reasons were noble, but it still was painful and then, he had fed him as if he still cared for him. In such a tender way, that reminded him all too much of how the other man used to sneak him extra tomatoes at supper.

"We should be going." Sasuke glances at Gaara. "Perhaps a drop of your blood to heal him. If Lord Indra sees those marks, he'll ask too many questions."

"He's a smart brat, Itachi." Kisame watches his prospective Mate with concern. "He's right. You would have died or had to be turned if he had gone much further. Let's get you back to your chambers."

Despite Itachi's defiant attempt at a glare, Gaara bites his wrist and steps forward, holding his wrist to Itachi's lips. "Drink." He laces the command with a hint of compulsion to coax the human along.

Itachi's pupils dilate slightly, then he closes the gap and sucks the offered blood obediently. The holes in his hand and his neck slowly close up, and as the flow of blood from Gaara's hand stops, Itachi slumps back tiredly into Kisame's arms.

Kisame nods at Gaara gratefully. "Well, it seems we have something in common." He smirks. "We're both in love with an Uchiha."

Gaara sighs, but does not dispute the point. "And they seem to be intent on causing us a great deal of trouble." After hearing all of this, Gaara's understanding of the situation had jumped ahead by leaps and bounds. But judging by the look on Sasuke's face, the young vampire was conflicted at best over this unforeseen turn of events. If his brother was not the monster that he believed, then Sasuke would have to find a way to redefine their relationship, and decide if he even wanted one. "Come." This was no place for making such a decision. "Let's take our leave as well."

Sasuke looks at Itachi with a thousand different emotions flickering in his ruby red orbs before joining Gaara. It was unsettling to say the least. Not knowing what to feel towards the man who shared the same parents as him. His feelings for Itachi had always run in extremes and there had never been any ambiguity before, but now there was.

Seafoam eyes glance back once to see the human scooped into the demon's arms, clearly too disoriented to walk. Not a fatal amount of blood, then, but the signs of blood loss could often take a minute or two to become apparent, even when expecting them. Gaara places a hand on Sasuke's lower back, guiding him back inside through another hallway, both pairs disappearing from each other's sight. "Sasuke, I will not ask if you are alright, but if there is anything you would like for me to do, you need only ask."

"I'm tempted to ask if you could compel my memories of him away." It would be easier. "Though I know that's a foolish request, even if you could do it."

"Yes, though it seems to me that foolishness is in your blood." And Gaara would protect him from it, if he could. But compulsion was simply not an available option. "I suspect that Lord Indra will know of your existence and presence here within the hour. Kakashi was watching that bout."

"I didn't kill him and we healed him." That troubled him. "Though there is still a chance Indra will punish me for 'attacking' Itachi, he might overlook it considering I'm a newborn." It might be vain, but Sasuke wasn't particularly worried. "I think he'll be more interested in the fact we're brothers than the fact that I bit Itachi..."

"I am inclined to agree." Particularly so after Gaara overheard their discussion. "You may have escaped his notice as a child, but you will certainly not escape it now. I suggest that you prepare yourself for attracting his attention. One never knows if it is in their best or worst interest to be the center of Indra's focus."

That was true and pride or not, Sasuke knew he had to tread cautiously now. "I'm different than him. I'm already a vampire." Indra couldn't whisk him away to be a human at Court. He couldn't Sire him. "I already have a Sire and there are certain laws even he can't break." Temari's claim on him was a valid one by any vampire's metric. "Though I'm aware that doesn't make me untouchable." Indra was still the Vampire Lord of the region and there was really only so much Temari could get away with without earning his ire. A dangerous game he wouldn't put her through if it came to it.

"Good, then you are aware of your position." Gaara could give him a great deal of advance, and as he pushes open the door to their chambers and closes it behind him, he would be sure to do just that. "When Indra takes notice of you, it will put you in a position of great potential power. If you wield it wisely and negotiate carefully, you may earn his favour and whatever boons he may be inclined to give you. Which is arguably better than the alternative."

"We both know it's better than the alternative." Sasuke had adjusted well to life as a vampire. Certainly, he had fared far better than most newborns who were still little more than animals at this point, but he wasn't stupid. He stood no chance against the likes of Indra.

"Good, then allow your mind to rest for today, we can pay your brother a visit tomorrow evening, if you wish." Gaara knew well that it would take Itachi some time to recover from his first time acting as a feeder. "I must admit that he did rather well for his first time. He did not panic upon feeling your fangs, merely flinched at the sensation."

"He's a human who has lived inside these walls for ten years." Sasuke sighs at that knowledge. "I doubt much scares him anymore."

"Perhaps, but he lives still." To Gaara, that indicated the presence of some sort of fear. Or at the very least a reason for which he retained his sense of self-preservation. After all...this place had many a high wall... "For whatever reason, he has not given up and chosen to 'slip' off the roof quite yet."

"Maybe he was afraid what Indra would do to our family, if he did." Sasuke bites his lower lip in thought.

Gaara pauses, then settles himself on the bed and pulls Sasuke into his lap. "Perhaps that is so..." But it would do no good to dwell on it now when all it would do is make Sasuke pensive and upset. "But that can be left to explore tomorrow. Would you prefer to have a bath first before retreating to bed for a nap?"

Despite the situation, Sasuke finds his lips curling upwards in a smirk. "I believe you just want an excuse to see me naked." Whether that had been Gaara's intention or not, it had worked all the same.

"Do I require an excuse to see you naked? Or are you extending the privilege to me unconditionally?" Gaara smirks in turn, circling his arms around Sasuke's waist.

If Sasuke could, he probably would have purred at the contact. "I haven't entirely decided whether or not to grant you such a privilege on a conditional or unconditional basis." Still, he finds himself leaning into the red head's embrace.

"Well, I do hope to make it the latter." And Gaara thought that perhaps a bath was the right way to start.

* * *

Kakashi ambles into a private part of the castle, where the largest and most warded of the private chambers lay. Not that wards or guards or any sort of defence would keep him out when he wanted inside. Nevertheless he had new information that he was sure would be of utmost interest to his master. And he was sure he would be forgiven for 'barging in' easily enough. It would hardly be the first time.

Without so much as a knock, Kakashi slips into the ante-chamber of Indra's quarters, adjusting his sleeve cuffs idly as he lazily ambles deeper inside. "My Lord, I have news that should prove to be of interest to you."

Indra looks up at Kakashi with undisguised curiosity. "You have my attention." He gestures for the other vampire to approach. "Speak."

Perhaps some preamble, then. "As you may recall, when you sent me to fetch Itachi a decade ago, you were aware of the existence of his younger brother, but retained no particular interest in the boy, as he had not yet shown his talents."

"He was so young that I would have been shocked, if he had." Indra shrugs as if wondering what Kakashi's point was. "Besides, they only had two sons. Taking both would have been cruel. They needed an heir."

"True, however it seems that they have produced two more children, and therefore, the young spitfire I met that night enjoys somewhat more freedom than he did then." Kakashi chuckles softly at the memory of the tiny boy who had recklessly charged out after his brother, staring down a vampire for his brother's sake. "At Itachi's request, I did not bring the boy with us, despite him showing a flicker at that moment of what he might have become, given time. However, it appears that he has made his way here, nonetheless. Sasuke and Itachi had a short bout not long ago, before the two retreated to their chambers with their respective lovers."

Indra blinks at all this information. "I see." He wouldn't say he was pleased about Kakashi keeping such information from him, but at the time he wouldn't have taken Sasuke as well due to the question of continuing the family line. "Well, is there anything else I should be aware of?"

"The young man is now a vampire, sired by Lady Temari Sabaku. He has also proven himself to be a capable fighter. He fought with Itachi in single combat and drew first blood." Kakashi could certainly see that those buds of promise were blooming beautifully. "There was an...incident, however. Itachi allowed his younger brother to feed from him. But Lord Gaara resolved it by feeding Itachi his own blood and stopping Sasuke before the loss of blood became serious. I would assume that Itachi is now sleeping, and will likely remain in bed for a day or two. But there should be no permanent damage left over from the encounter."

"How old is the boy?" Indra frowns as he considers the matter. "If he's Itachi's younger brother he has to be less than twenty-three years of age. So he can't have been turned that long ago."

"From what Itachi has told me, and what I observed, Sasuke is eighteen and newly turned. He appears to have relatively firm control over his bloodlust, but may still fall to temptation, as I saw today." Considering just how young he was, Kakashi couldn't help but be impressed at his rapid development. "He appears to be as fine a jewel as his brother, if not quite as polished just yet." Though with an age gap of five years, it was only to be expected.

"The fact he tasted blood and could be stopped at all without significant injury to one or more parties is promising." Indra mulls over the idea.

"Indeed." Kakashi had been rather impressed as well. "And he regained full control of his senses shortly thereafter." He also knew that Indra rather liked the idea of matched sets. "Would you have me summon the boy to you alone, or have him come when Itachi has recovered?"

It was a good question. To end the boy's anxieties quickly or to give him time to process everything that had happened. "I suppose it's best to let Itachi recover first." Indra sighs and shakes his head. "There will be emotional trauma either way, I'm certain. Such a reunion likely took its toll on both of them and I'm not just referring to Itachi's blood loss."

"Yes, of course." Kakashi could lie and say that he didn't care either way, but he did feel some relief that at the very least, the brothers would be together and have each other when meeting with Indra. Then his lips curve up in a smile. "You should have witnessed their bout, it was quite the spectacle to watch."

Indra chuckles at that. "I don't doubt that for a moment." The blood ties might be thin, but they were there. "I'm aware that Kisame has made no secret of his affection for Itachi, but how certain are you that Sasuke has already found someone?"

Kakashi chuckles at the inquiry. "Lord Gaara has made no great secret of his affections for Sasuke, one just has to watch where his gaze travels. Or his hands. Or his mouth." He'd stumbled across a couple of secret rendezvous between the two. "Though for the most part, I believe that they are content to keep much of their relationship confined to the private guest chambers that they share."

That was unexpected for a newborn. Most didn't have any care for discretion. Though that could be Gaara's doing more than Sasuke's. "Interesting." Indra smirks. "Well, I can't blame them for snatching up such exceptional prizes so quickly."

Well at the very least, Indra was in a good mood. that meant that Kakashi's job would be quite a bit easier. "Yes, it seems that both Lord Gaara and Kisame have an eye for quality. Sasuke quite resembles his brother, I would even go so far as to say that his beauty is equal to that of his brother's, though far more delicate than Itachi's." It was astonishing, really. "If he did not clearly show himself to be a man, based on his features alone, I would almost suspect him of being a woman."

Indra chuckles at that and shakes his head. "I would not remark on that observation out loud to him." If he was an Uchiha in temperament as well as looks, that wouldn't end well.

"No, I don't believe that I will." Kakashi had seen Sasuke's temper firsthand, twice, and had no wish to experience it for himself. "When should I inform the children that they are being summoned?"

"Do so in the morning. I think they should like a night to process everything at the very least." Indra nods.

"Yes, Sir." Kakashi agreed, and he could give them that much, at least. "Then I'll inform them late tomorrow." Maybe in the evening instead, when Itachi was more likely to be awake.

"The evening is agreeable." Indra could wait a few more hours, even if his curiosity was gnawing at him like a dog would at a bone.

"Good night, My Lord." Kakashi bows low and disappears back out the way he came. Normally he would leave by the window, but he refrained from doing so in his master's chambers.


	10. Chapter 10

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 10

Itachi stirs weakly, his head pounding dully as he blinks his eyes open. The room drifts, spinning a little as he tilts his head first towards the window, the sole source of light in the room, then to the left side of his bed, where a large blue form caught his swimming attention. "...Kisame...?"

"It's me." Kisame smiles as he brushes Itachi's bangs out of his eyes. "Sasuke is fine. So relax. You lost a lot of blood there."

He'd lost...blood? "Sasuke is..." Memories come swirling back to Itachi in bits and pieces.. Sasuke's face. Fangs. Pain. A fight. His heart feeling like it was having the life squeezed out of it... "Sasuke...fed from me." His baby brother was...a vampire now.

"Yes, he did." Kisame nods at him. "You didn't seem to mind him doing so. In fact, you encouraged him."

Itachi nods, believing Kisame's words in a heartbeat. If his little brother really needed to feed then Itachi would never deny him that. "...He's a vampire..." How that had come about was still a little fuzzy, but the words of their conversation were coming back to him. "And it's my fault."

"Itachi, he's special like you." He'd have to find a way to relieve his guilt. "Someone was almost certainly going to turn him sooner or later. Let's just be happy that it was Temari and not someone more...contemptible."

Yes...Sasuke was certainly special, even as a child...his determination had known no bounds. And now that he was a vampire, there would be those who would seek to use him for their own purposes. Even if they couldn't sire him, Itachi knew that more than one vampire in this place would take advantage of Sasuke's youth if they could manage it. "I need to see him." Itachi pushes himself unsteadily into a sitting position. "Sasuke needs to know what he's up against."

"I'm certain that Gaara is already instructing him in the ways of the Indra's Court." Kisame didn't like where this was going. "Itachi, I know you mean well, but the boy has been under the impression you abandoned him for most of his life. Right now, I'm not sure if he'd take your advice no matter how well meaning."

Itachi sighs in frustration. Perhaps Sasuke wouldn't take his advice, but it would be wrong to just leave him be. No matter what Sasuke thought, they were still brothers. And as the eldest, the duty fell to Itachi to protect and care for his little brother, even if Sasuke resented him for it. "Then what would you suggest? Indra will know of him soon if he doesn't already, and once Indra is aware, the rumours will begin circulating and Sasuke will no longer be safe."

Kisame sighs as he embraces Itachi. "Indra will likely want a matching set." He smiles at him. "He'll probably favor Sasuke as long as he doesn't do anything completely idiotic. So he'll be safer than you are the moment and he has the Sabaku Siblings. We'll have to take things slow. Knowing Indra though, you'll both be summoned to speak to him soon anyway."

In a fit of weakness, Itachi allows his head to rest tiredly on Kisame's shoulder. "And then Sasuke will know everything." Including why he had seemingly abandoned their family for life in the vampire court. "What a fine mess this is..."

"On the plus side, his chompers came in nicely." Kisame kisses the top of Itachi's head.

Dark eyes roll, despite the slowly waning headache. "Yes, clearly he has learned to use his fangs well." Itachi glances down at his hand, remembering the wound there, even if the proof had long since disappeared. "...He won our match."

"Yes, well he had the advantage." Kisame shrugs and shakes his head. "He probably wouldn't have if you were a vampire."

Perhaps, but Sasuke being a vampire was hardly an excuse. Itachi trained with vampires on a regular basis, and he was accustomed to winning. In fact, he hadn't lost a match in...almost five years now. "He's grown strong." And despite the situation, Itachi couldn't help but feel a little proud.

"He kinda has to be." Kisame chuckles as he remembers the stories he'd heard about Gaara. "Red's got himself quite the reputation, though he's mellowed in recent years or else Lord Indra wouldn't have brought him to court."

That was true, though Itachi did have to wonder how Sasuke had gotten himself such a powerful and notorious lover at such a young age, and so soon into his turning. "Has an official summons arrived yet?" It was still rather soon, but Kisame was right in that Indra would likely want to speak with them both, and soon.

"Not yet." He kisses Itachi. "It will though."

Itachi kisses back softly, sighing into the kiss. "Yes, it will." Though he would rather that meeting take place later and not sooner. And he could really use some food. And fluids...he was running rather low on those.

Kisame allows himself to enjoy the kiss for a moment more before breaking it. "Now, let's get you patched up before the Summon's arrives." He chuckles.

Dark eyes flutter back open. "What did you have in mind?" As far as Itachi could tell, Gaara's blood had done its job. He couldn't even feel the places where Sasuke had bit him.

"Let's get you some water and some food in you." He nods. "Just what the doctor ordered and maybe a sexy massage."

Itachi could certainly go for a massage, but food and water came first. "Very well. I suppose I could eat. We humans do like our incentives."

Kisame laughs softly at that and nods. "Yes, that's true." He smiles as he gets something for his beloved to eat and drink. "Here. God only knows why you love cabbage soup so much, but I know it's your favorite."

The human in question rolls his eyes. "It's healthy." And, prepared right, it could be quite tasty. Kisame didn't know what he was missing. "There is nothing wrong with enjoying a good cabbage."

It was weird. Kisame wouldn't be convinced otherwise, but whatever made Itachi happy. Maybe his tastebuds would make more sense after he was a vampire. "If you say so." He smiles as he wraps his arms around him.

"I do say so." Itachi smirks smugly as he turns and leans back into Kisame's embrace. "Is that a problem?"

"Not particularly." He playfully nipped the back of his intended's neck. "I'm just glad you're eating something." Even if that something was disgusting.

Itachi could hear the unspoken words loud and clear. "And what would you prefer to have me eat? Fish? Perhaps shark fin soup?"

"You're a little sadistic sometimes." he chuckles.

"I did grow up in a castle filled with vampires." Itachi spoons down his cabbage soup, content with the warmth of the food and of the demon beside him. "Did you expect me to remain innocent in my sense of humour?"

Kisame smiles as he kisses him. "Mmm. Well, that is a very good point." Though it did remind him of a few other good ones. "Now about the rest of your innocent ways."

Itachi's cheeks pinken slightly, taking on a rosy glow. "And just what innocent ways are those?"

"I'm pretty sure you know exactly what I'm referring too." Kisame smirks at him.

Putting the now empty bowl down on the silver tray sitting on his bed, Itachi glances over his shoulder at the far too smug demon. "And what about them?"

He watches his almost lover with open amusement. "We should dispense with them." Itachi could be downright endearing when he was flustered.

Well, that escalated quickly. And Itachi was certain that he had never heard such a blunt and ineloquent way of asking to bed someone in his life. "You're...very direct."

"I'm a shark demon." He laughs as he kisses Itachi. "We're hunters and who can blame me when I have the most desirable prey in all the world in my bed."

Itachi sighs and rolls his eyes. "You mean in MY bed." Last he had checked, these were his quarters, the same quarters he had had since first arriving here ten years ago.

"Is there really a difference between your bed and mine at this point?" Kisame shakes his head as he playfully pins Itachi underneath him.

A heart loudly skips a beat, and Itachi knew it was his because he could feel it pounding in his ears. "Perhaps, perhaps not. But I think that you overestimate your abilities." His eyes flash red and he breaks the pin with a burst of strength, rolling them over and straddling Kisame's lap.

"Mmm I don't mind you pulling the reigns a little bit." He caresses his cheeks. "After all, I can't argue with the view."

Itachi smirks smugly, more than a little pleased by Kisame's reaction. "Very good, I do prefer less arguing."

Kakashi didn't bother to knock. He was too worried about Itachi for such formalities. In hindisght, he probably should have. "Well, I suppose that you're feeling much better already." He watches them with a sly smile. "Though the real question is whether or not you're feeling up to seeing your brother and Indra again."

And that was one way to kill the mood. Or slaughter it viciously and leave its entrails for the crows. Itachi grumbles quietly as he slides off Kisame's lap. "What's going on with Indra and Sasuke?"

"Of course, when you're feeling well enough you're expected to meet with Indra. Sasuke will receive the same summons." Kakashi looks at him as if that should have been common sense. "Don't worry. As far as I'm aware, Indra is not angry with this development. If anything, he seems rather pleased by it."

The fact that Indra was pleased by it only made Itachi worry MORE. "And what is it that he wants with Sasuke?"

"He's a gifted vampire that is of his bloodline." Kakashi shrugs. "Likely the same thing he wants from you. Itachi, he's going to see Sasuke whether you're there or not. I suggest that you attend when you're able rather than denying the reality of the situation."

Itachi Wanted to argue that he was denying nothing, but this wasn't the time for yelling at Kakashi. "You may inform Lord Indra that I will meet with him this evening." There was no sense in delaying it, and all the reason to control precisely when it occurred. "Is that satisfactory?"

Kakashi nods in approval. Despite what Itachi likely thought at the moment, the silver haired vampire was not his enemy. He only wanted what was best for the human and his brother. "I'm sure that Lord Indra will be thrilled to hear that you'll be his company for this evening." He bows. "I'll leave you as you were." The door closes behind him as quietly as it had first opened.

Silence fills the room as Itachi digests Kakashi's announcement. In the many years since he first came to be here, Indra had not treated him badly. Perhaps the old vampire was a bit detached at times, distant, but that was only to be expected from a vampire of his age. Sasuke, though...his little brother had never been face to face with Indra, he didn't know how the old vampire worked. And Itachi would be damned if he let Indra maneuver Sasuke into an oath or agreement that would hurt his little brother in any way.

Kisame sighs as he kisses his forehead. "Itachi, he's not helpless. He has you and Gaara." He smiles at him. "Besides, you've seen he's more than capable of holding his own. It will be alright."

Sasuke holding his own against Itachi was a very different matter to staring down a being such as Indra, but Itachi didn't feel like debating the point. Instead, he lays down next to Kisame on the covers of his bed. "I suppose I should have expected this." That one day, he would have to stand between Indra and his foolish little brother.

"Why don't you wait until you know it's an actual problem before worrying that pretty little head of yours?" Kisame wraps his arms around him. "Alright?"

Itachi burrows into Kisame's embrace, his mind spinning with all of the possibilities. "I can't. He's my little brother." No matter if his teeth were sharp or dull, Itachi would always seek to protect Sasuke from danger. Him being a vampire changed nothing.

"That's sweet, Itachi." Kisame smiles at him. "Though working yourself into a frenzy isn't going to help you protect him. One step at a time, alright?"

Thank the heavens that Sasuke hadn't heard that. He would never let Itachi live down being called sweet. "...I suppose you're right." Still, he had to admit that Kisame had a point. Getting worked up wouldn't help him now. And it certainly wouldn't help Sasuke. Besides, no matter Indra's amusement or ire, Itachi was fairly certain that the ancient vampire wanted him more than he might want to pose a danger to Sasuke. that much, Itachi would bet his life on.

"Of course I'm right." Kisame winsk at him. "Your life will be so much easier when you realize that from the beginning."

Itachi snorts and shakes his head. "Of course. Whatever would I do without you?"

"Worry yourself to death most likely." He nods.

"Yes...that." Itachi chuckles softly and closes his eyes. "Now, be a good pillow and try to be comfortable." He wanted some more sleep before confronting Indra.

Kisame laughs and nods as he does exactly that. After all, Itachi needed to get some rest before greeting his brother again.

* * *

Dressed simply in fine black silk and dark brown leather, his hair brushed to disguise his earlier little adventure, Itachi strides silently through the halls of the castle he knew like the back of his hand. He didn't need Kakashi to hold his hand and guide him to the throne room anymore. He'd grown out of needing such indulgences a long time ago.

Dark boots make no sound as he approaches the doors to the hall, but he could hear the two pairs of footsteps approaching from the opposite direction. He huffs quietly, unimpressed with Kakashi's laziness. That vampire could very well be silent when he wanted to, which meant that he was deliberately letting Itachi hear him.

The vision that wipes the smile from his face, however, is that of his foolish little brother's face, now grown. They had lost so much time, and somehow, they managed to find their way to the same place anyway. Fate was a funny thing.

Sasuke meets Itachi's gaze. Though his face was unreadable. Not because it was an emotionless mask, but because there were simply too many emotions swirling in those ruby red depths to distinguish between any of them.

A spike of guilt shoots through Itachi, but he schools it immediately. There was no time for guilt or uncertainty now. Whatever Sasuke's problems with him, they could wait until Indra was dealt with. His eyes flick to Kakashi and he nods. "If I call for you, I want Sasuke taken out of here." It shouldn't come to that, but Itachi wanted to be prepared for the worst case scenario. Scenarios...

"I will." Kakashi nods at Itachi. "I doubt such measures will be necessary though."

Annoyance and even a flash of anger engulfs Sasuke's face. He had certainly heard those words and though he said nothing, a small flash of fang indicated he wasn't particularly happy about Itachi's request.

Ignoring Sasuke's irritation, Itachi turns towards the doors and waves his hand, pushing them open with magic as he strides into the hall. Already, he could see Indra waiting for them, a book in hand to pass the time. It was not a habit that his lord indulged in for court meetings, but whenever Itachi was summoned, usually alone, he would often find Indra indulging in a book.

"Come in." Indra sets the book down. "Let's have a look at both of you." Fortunately, Sasuke didn't seem to have any issue complying with that request as he strides towards Indra. The archetype of a vampire with his liquid grace. No one would have guessed he was a newborn in that moment.

Itachi approaches the throne, halting and bowing low at a respectful distance. "My Lord." He keeps an eye trained on Sasuke, though, watching his little brother carefully for any sign that things might go wrong.

Fortunately, Sasuke mimics Itachi's action. Whether he had been told to do so or just had common sense was hard to tell.

"It's good to see that even after this many generations, our family line is still an attractive one." Indra chuckles as he looks them over. "If my memory serves, you certainly favor your mother, Sasuke."

"You're correct." Sasuke nods his head respectfully. "I do favor my human mother. I certainly don't favor my Sire. She's beautiful, but I can't say that I look anything like her. She's blonde."

Itachi couldn't help but smile a little, stifling a chuckle before it could escape him. He had seen the vision that was Lady Temari Sabaku, and he would have to say that if ever Sasuke decided to experiment with magic and develop a spell for turning his hair blond, it would be a most amusing day indeed.

Indra laughs at that and nods. "Yes, it would be a most pecuilar sight indeed to see someone from my line with golden tresses." He looks them over. "I am surprised that neither your companion or sire is with you."

Itachi wasn't. If Sasuke was thinking at all along the same lines as he was and was being cautious for this meeting, then he wouldn't risk bringing them along. Vampires they might be, but few stood a chance against Indra when he was incensed. It was why he'd left Kisame in his room to prepare a bath.

"They respect that this is something of a family matter." Sasuke's voice was even save for a slight pause between words. He was likely trying to keep from stammering in a dignified fashion. "So they didn't wish to interfere."

He admired Sasuke's courage, at the very least. Though Itachi did wish that his foolish little brother had had the sense to be a little more cautious. At the very least, Kakashi was just outside. There was no one in this castle that Itachi trusted the way he did Kakashi. Kisame was...different, but Kakashi was someone that Itachi could trust to act in his best interests, and in the best interest of whomever Itachi cared about.

"That's kind of them." He looks at Sasuke and then back at Itachi. "Well, I can't deny that the idea of having two vampires of my own blood in the castle does intrigue me. Seeing as your parents have sired more children since I last saw them, there's no need to feel guilty about them not having an heir..."

Itachi barely resists the urge to outright glare at his lord. This was not part of the original demand, and he would not allow Sasuke to be unceremoniously trapped here. "That is IF he desires to stay, correct?" His eyes narrow slightly.

Indra shakes his head in amusement. Most vampire lords might have been enraged or at least irritated at Itachi's presumptive nature. That he actually thought to scold him though was amusing. "Yes, of course." He glances at Itachi. "Is that not what I did with you? You had the option to leave anytime you wanted."

Yes, perhaps that was technically so. Perhaps Indra would not have stopped him from leaving, and so long as Itachi returned, he would honour the unspoken agreement, the bargain that had been struck. But it would be foolish to believe that Indra's argument was nearly as straightforward as he presented it. Still, his gaze turns down towards the stone floor. "...Yes. But I have honoured your...request, and you honoured mine." No others from his clan had been taken, and they had been left in peace for ten years.

Sasuke could see what Itachi was trying to do and well, a large part of him resented it. While another part was touched. "I'm flattered by your praise and I'll stay as long as all parties deem it desirable." The fact that some sliver of him was actually touched by Itachi's protectiveness also enraged him. He didn't know how to feel about any of this anymore.

Itachi's gaze flicks warily to Sasuke. He wasn't certain that Sasuke knew just what he was getting himself into here. But he had forfeited the right to challenge Sasuke's decisions long ago. He felt no compunction in challenging Indra for Sasuke's sake. But challenging Sasuke would lead them nowhere.

"Good." He shakes his head and smiles. "Though there is just one more thing that I feel as though is important to say before you may retire for the evening. I've decided to turn Itachi once the court celebrations end."

His heart thuds loudly in his chest. Indra was planing on turning him so early? Itachi had thought that the plan was to turn him when he was twenty-five. If Indra truly planned to turn him when the celebrations were over...then that gave him only a month at most. Not almost a year and a half. "Yes, My Lord. As you will it." so much for taking time to get used to the idea. Yes, it had become more appealing since meeting Kisame, but it was still an important and irreversible event, and to have it moved up so suddenly... It was more than a little bit of a shock.

"I would give you more time, but being human leaves you vulnerable and you're more than old enough now." He looks at Itachi with sympathetic eyes. "In the grand scheme of things, a year or so is nothing."

Yes...Itachi knew as much. But it would also mean seeing almost no one for the months that it took for the change to take place. And even then, he would need to be extremely cautious and hope to the heavens that his bloodlust would not overtake him. "I understand, My Lord. I will be ready when it is time."

"Good. Should you require anything, do not hesitate to ask." He nods at him. "As for you, Sasuke, I look forward to getting to know you as well."

"As do I you." The younger Uchiha nods politely as he eyes Itachi warily. His brother looks positively horrified by the sudden change. Sasuke couldn't understand why for the life of him. It made no damn sense to him. Why did Itachi want to be a human in a vampire court? Was he that much of a masochist?

Itachi wipes all emotion from his face, emptying himself of discernible emotion. "If that is all, My Lord?" For now, the safest place for him to be was in his demon's arms. He needed time to adjust...even if that time was frighteningly short.

Indra nods as he dismisses Itachi and Sasuke. It was well, a bit hurtful that his ward was so frightened of the change. Though he supposed human instincts were powerful and even those who wanted to become vampires most had second thoughts as their blood was drained.

Doing his best to walk calmly from the hall, Itachi's heart pounded in his ears, and not for the first time this day. How funny was it...to go from a heart racing from a bold seduction to...this. It was almost maddening, really. the doors open for him, as if by magic, and he steps outside and away from his lord. This...this was it, then. The end of his tenure as a human was in sight.

Once safely outside of the throne room, Itachi strides around the corner of the hall and leans against the wall, adrenaline pumping through his veins. "Hn." He almost smiles. Wryly...bitterly... What a contradiction Indra was...

Sasuke glances at Itachi. Torn between saying something and making a dignified retreat. The latter of which was probably the smarter option, but it felt like he should say something. "You were wrong about me being the foolish one." He rolls his eyes. "You're the one that wants to be a deer living amongst a pack of wolves."

Itachi returns the wary glance and sighs. "...Perhaps. Though as you have no doubt seen, I am hardly defenceless. And if one is a deer that the wolves are not permitted to touch..." Well, none of it mattered now. "Would you like for me to let you in on a secret, little brother?"

"Go ahead." He smirks at Itachi. "I have to admit that I am wondering how your lover doesn't rip your face off with his teeth, even by vampire standards they're rather...sharp."

A faint smile tugs at Itachi's lips. "He is very careful. Particularly with the more...sensitive places." Banter was good, it meant that Sasuke was willing to speak on at least somewhat friendly terms with him. It was an improvement.

"I guess he'd have to be." Sasuke couldn't see it working any other way. "What was the secret?"

And with that, the smile falls from Itachi's lips. "It's not something bandied about to humans, but living in a vampire court means that I hear the whispers that ordinary humans do not." It could be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on what he did with the information. "...Not everyone survives the change to return as a vampire. And on top of that, many newborns lose themselves to their blood lust and become little more than animals. Sometimes permanently."

He knew the dangers of turning, but he didn't know his own chances. "You were extremely lucky, it seems. Your change went well. But I have heard the stories of those that are not nearly as lucky as you." It was a mark of shame among vampires, to attempt to turn a human, only for their human to die during the turning, or fall to bloodlust and become rabid.

"You're afraid you'll die during the process." Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "Unexpected. I see no reason why you'd die. You're from Indra's line. It's in your blood and you're perfectly healthy." He turns to walk away. "Unless you lay down like a dog and surrender to it. At least have the decency to tell the shark that's what you're going to do, if that's your plan."

Itachi didn't know if being from Indra's line would boost his chances, or if his magic would help him at all, but he hoped. Just a little. "No, I no longer wish to surrender to death. Not in that way. I am merely...far too aware of what the consequences of Indra's actions might be."

His wry smile returns. "Actions that, as usual, are full of contradictions. He says that I have been free to leave, and yet makes the decision to turn me early without my knowledge. There has never even been a question as to whether or not I will become a vampire. Indra simply wills it, and so he shall have it happen." Perhaps the immortal saw no contradiction in his own actions, but that was the difference in life experience. Whatever Indra believed, Itachi simply had no way of grasping it.

"You're one to talk." Sasuke scoffs at him. "Lord Indra's actions make far more sense than your own."

"Then what would you have me explain?" There was hardly a reason to hide anything now. Everything had been decided, and the bargain that had been struck when Itachi was only thirteen was finally coming full circle.

"I think you've covered the important parts." Sasuke says. "You say one thing and do the exact opposites. Maybe that will be the best way to understand you, I suppose. Yes means no. The sun means the moon and so on."

Perhaps that was true. Itachi had lied to Sasuke in such a way that it would be difficult to ever regain his trust, even with centuries ahead of them. "Then if I were to say that I love you, and that my only wish for you is for your freedom and happiness?"

"Then I'd say you went about it the wrong damn way." Sasuke eyes him warily. "Assuming that I believed you in the first place."

Itachi nods, the truth of it ringing in Sasuke's words. "Yes, I did go about it the wrong way. And one day, I do hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me for the pain I caused you, but I will not ask or expect you to. For I realize that I have lost the right to be anything other than what you desire me to be in your life. If you desire to have me there at all."

"I wish things could go back to being simple." Sasuke clenches his fist. "When I loved or despised you. Not whatever this is..."

Perhaps, but Itachi knew that they could never go back, not until one of them bent and broke. "...I would advise you to return home with Lord Gaara as soon as the celebrations are finished. But it seems that you have no intention to leave so soon."

"I suppose I could do that." He looks at Itachi. "Clearly, I'm not really going to get what I came here for and I'd be happy back with Temari and her family. Though that'd be giving up a lot as well."

"You came for revenge, and now you plan to play in their power games." With backing from both Gaara Sabaku and Indra himself, Sasuke could grow to become quite the powerful figure, if he was so inclined. And Itachi was no stranger to court politics. Once he was turned and stabilized, he would be more than capable of weaving through their machinations. "I have knowledge and access to further information that could prove a benefit in navigating court politics for a new vampire. Indra gives his favourites a great deal of room to play in his court. If you wish it, I could lend you my assistance in navigating the veins of power. Played correctly, the game can lend great benefits to those who play."

"I'm aware." It wasn't as though he really needed to play the game. He would be quite happy with the Sabaku family, but pride was a powerful thing and who was to say that someday in the future the Sabaku family wouldn't fall on harder times? "I'll think about your offer." Sasuke wanted to refuse it outright on principle. He could stand on his own two feet, but that would cutting off his nose to spite his face.

Itachi nods and levels himself away from the wall, turning in the opposite direction and back towards his own chambers. "Be careful, Sasuke. And perhaps, if I survive and settle after the turn, we can have another bout in the courtyard."

Sasuke smirks at that. "Vampire or not, you'll still lose." With that being said, he finally manged to tear himself away from Itachi. He didn't know what would end up coming of his stay at court, but it was nice to have a sexy red head waiting for him. Gaara was nothing, if not a wonderful distraction from whatever curveballs life might throw at him.


	11. Chapter 11

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 11

The door to his private chambers opens slowly and Itachi slips inside, his heartbeat finally slowed to a merely anxious pace. This evening had been full of surprises and the initial shock was still wearing off. His and Sasuke's fates had been all but decided now.

Suddenly, he was rather glad that he hadn't brought Kisame to the meeting. He wasn't sure if his soon-to-be lover would be thrilled or start with his worrying all over again. Speaking of the large blue demon...

Itachi puts a smile on his face as he turns from the small antechamber of his private chambers into his bedroom, to find Kisame precisely where he left him, on the red covers of his gigantic bed. "There you are."

"I still wish you had let me go with you." He pulls Itachi onto the bed. "Seeing as you're still in one piece though, it can't have gone that badly."

"It...went." Though Itachi was still debating on whether it had been a good thing or bad. "It appears that Sasuke will be staying here at court for the foreseeable future. At Indra's request, of course..."

Kisame shakes his head. Itachi looked so depressed that it was depressing him. Clearly, he had to do something. He wasn't good at the sappy feeling thing, but he'd try for Itachi's sake. "Itachi, you've spent a decade as a human in a vampire court." He frowns. "So I can't blame you for not liking it here. You haven't had an easy time of it, but Sasuke is starting off as a vampire and you know it's possible that he might just like things that you don't. Maybe he wants to stay here."

He nods, settling his head into the crook of Kisame's neck. "I'm sure that he has his reasons, and I've already spoken with him about the matter." And Itachi would do whatever he had to in order to protect his little brother in this place. "I have offered him my help in navigating the powers and politics of the court. If nothing else, it should prove to be a good learning experience for him."

Kisame wraps his arms around his future vampire protectively. Itachi did have a habit of making things harder on himself than they needed to be. Honestly, the shark demon was a little worried for his almost lover. He was going to give himself a heart attack at this rate. Maybe he should just screw his brains out until Itachi got a restful night sleep. "I'm sure he'd benefit from your tutoring." He kisses Itachi's forehead and smiles at him, displaying his fangs. "You'd also benefit from some sleep."

"Perhaps." Though Itachi doubted he would be able to sleep for the time being. "...Will you stay after the celebrations are done?"

"You're asking if I'll sleep next to the most attractive man in this castle?" He raises an eyebrow. "Is this a trick question?"

"No, that's not what I meant." It seemed that he would have to be a little more...blunt. "Indra has...decided not to turn me on my twenty-fifth birthday."

"Oh." Kisame tilts his head at him. "So he's doing it after the festivities end then?"

"Yes, he believes that it would be in advisable to let me remain a human for much longer." Itachi had very little time left as a human and the shock was slowly wearing off. Very slowly. "I'm not sure whether I should be terrified or excited. I feel mostly...numb."

"Well, I'm sure I could make you not numb." Kisame smirks as he licks the shell of Itachi's ear suggestively. "I know that's a big change, Itachi. I'm sure you'll make a fang-tastic vampire though."

Itachi shivers in Kisame's arms and tilts his head slightly as a heated blush speckles his cheekbones. "Tease." It was nice to hear Kisame's confidence, though. It made it seem all the more likely that he would make it through next month's activities in one piece.

"It's only teasing, if I didn't intend to deliver on it." He smiles as he holds Itachi closer to him. "Which I fully intend to once you get over your bashfulness."

"I am not bashful." Itachi merely thought that, in his present condition, it might be unwise to risk it. "But I know that you have a great deal more physical strength than I do. It could...cause complications."

Kisame frowns at that. "I can be gentle." Though his fears weren't completely unfounded. "Yes, I'm stronger than you...but I wouldn't hurt you."

Itachi swallows thickly, then half closes his eyes and lays his head back on his pillow, watching Kisame attentively. "And you're one of the few that I believe when you say that."

"Good." Kisame kisses him. "I'm glad."

Kissing back with a gentle fire, Itachi feels his blood heating under the attention. "Are you disappointed?"

"Why would I be disappointed?" He looks at Itachi in confusion.

A small smirk curls Itachi's lips. "Because I'm not the nymphomaniac you decided I was." He had largely accepted that Kisame was going to call him his dolphin no matter what, but he could at least tease the demon about the ridiculous pet name.

"Oh you're a nymphomanic." He chuckles sand smiles at Itachi. "Just one in denial.

Soft laughter escapes Itachi's lips. "And you're certain about this?" Itachi squirms in Kisame's grip, turning himself halfway over and mussing up his hair as he works to wiggle out from under the demon.

"Quite certain." He quirks an eyebrow as he playfully swats his almost lover's backside.  
Itachi stifles a moan by pressing his face into the pillow. This utterly unapologetic pervert of demon was going to be the death of him. "And you say that you're not a tease."

"I'm fully willing to deliver whenever you want me to." He flashes him a positively predatory grin.

That was...a very tempting offer. Part of Itachi wanted to run away from it. But another part of him wanted to indulge in it and drown in what Kisame was offering him. "And what constitutes wanting to you?" He turns back over, barely given enough room to do so within Kisame's embrace. Itachi raises a hand up, pulling his demon down for another fiery kiss.

He smirks and returns the kiss with equal fervor. "All you have to do is say the words." Kisame's smirk blossoms into a full blown grin.

Itachi's fingers drift down Kisame's front, feeling and appreciating the hard play of muscles there. His eyes stare straight up, glowing a vibrant crimson with hazed desire. "Kisame..." There was a chance, slim perhaps, that he might not see his next birthday. But if Kisame could give him the strength he needed not to succumb to the darkness, then he would grasp that hope tightly. He takes a breath and presses a far more chaste kiss to Kisame's lips. "Then would you have me as yours?"

This wasn't a real question in Kisame's mind. So he answers it in the way he knew best. By kissing Itachi, trying to brand him in a way just through that simple action. Finally, the bashful human who had captured his heart was going to be well, a little less bashful.

Itachi's eyes slide shut as he presses back into the kiss, parting his lips and thrusting his tongue into Kisame's mouth. His fingers travel to the top of his leather jerkin, working apart the half dozen buckles holding the firm leather in place.

Kisame deepens the kiss as his hands find the infuriatingly well buckled tapestry known as a jerkin. Sure, it looked sexy as Hell on Itachi, but really there were far too many buckles. So he just rips it open.

An annoyed, heavy-lidded crimson gaze stares up at him as he slides the ruined jerkin from his shoulders and off the bed. "I hope you realize that was one of my favourites." Now Itachi was going to have to have it fixed or replaced.

"I can always get you another." He silences the sulking with a heated kiss before giving the tunic underneath him the same treatment. While his hands were unforgiving to Itachi's clothes, they were reverent on the human's skin.

Itachi laughs quietly, shivering under Kisame's gentle touch. "I see I'm never going to be able to wear clothes around you unless I wish to have no wardrobe left." At least his boots were safe by the door of his chambers, his trousers on the other hand...

"Well, at least none of the ridiculously stuffy ones." He shakes his head as he yanks off Itachi's trousers. "As long as they're easy to get off, that's what matters most." He was above all else, a practical demon.

Which essentially meant very little of his wardrobe, save for his sleeping clothes. Indra had fine tastes and had foisted those on Itachi, though he hadn't complained about it, but the choices were not very practical for dressing and undressing, only for moving about and fighting. Still, Itachi sucks in a breath as his heated skin is exposed to the cool air. His fingers move to Kisame's chest, pulling much more gently on the hem and pulling the fabric up and over Kisame's head. "You really should learn to be more patient."

Kisame smirks at that as he leaves a trail of hot kisses along Itachi's neck. "I think that I've been very patient considering everything." His skin was marvelously soft, the shark demon muses. Would it still be the same when he was a vampire? Probably.

Itachi pants softly, craning his neck to the side and spotting the trail of love bites blooming across his pale skin. Kisame had left marks on him several times, and they always took days to fade from a brilliant scarlet to a concealable colour. High collars had always been his preference, but now they were essentially required. "Perhaps for a demon." Trapped beneath Kisame's weight, Itachi parts his legs and slides his toes along Kisame's sides, hooking them into the waistband of the demon's pants and dragging the fabric down to his calves.

"Well yes, that is my metric." He was a demon after all. "So is there anything you want to try or do you want me to just follow my instincts?" It was possible, even likely this was the first time Itachi had truly been intimate. So Kisame figured it was only 'gentlemanlyl' to let him have at least some control, but sooner or later, he was bending Itachi over that bed.

Crimson eyes trail across the bared skin before him and Itachi answers the question by rolling them over and pressing a fierce kiss to Kisame's lips as he straddles the demon's hips. "I think...a little exploration might help first." And it might make him a little less nervous about the impressively thick cock pressing against his ass.

"You can explore to your heart's content then." He smiles as he glides his hands along Itachi's bare back with a deliberately lewd caress.

Itachi shifts back, leaning down towards Kisame's chest and pressing a kiss to the demon's strong neck. His lips tingle a little as they press against the pulse point, before he trails his own line of kisses down the blue skin, leaving purple bruises in his wake. Slowly, he works down, before coming to a firm pectoral muscle and kissing the nipple there, suckling it, then biting down.

Kisame sighs in pleasure at the attention. "You're definitely a vampire in the making." He smirks as he runs his fingers through those luscious locks of hair. "Already biting me and everything."  
He bites down a little harder in retaliation as the leather tie holding back his hair bounces off the covers and onto the floor. "I was raised by Kakashi." But Kisame had better be ready to help him brush his hair in the morning, because it was going to be an unholy mess at this rate.

"Remind me to thank that perverted vamp." Kisame laughs as he kisses Itachi and his hand drifts southward, wrapping around Itachi's arousal.

Itachi groans, bucking forward into Kisame's strong, warm grip. Unbalanced slightly, his hands press down on Kisame's shoulders, holding him up above the demon as he kisses back fiercely. Soft locks of silky black hair tumble over his shoulder, brushing against the blue skin beneath him as he undulates smoothly against the man who would, in the rather immediate future, take up official status as Itachi's lover.

He was sensitive. A trait that Kisame had always desired in a lover. "I take it this part of the exploration meets with your satisfaction" He smirks as he continues stroking him, marveling at the erotic picture his lover painted. The way his cheeks were dusted in a pink hue was particularly appealing.

Crimson eyes glow brightly, lit with a haze of desire and arousal. "It does." Itachi pants softly, trying to suck cool air into his lungs and tamp down the burning heat in his blood. He fails and his flushed cheeks darken.

"Good." Kisame smiles as he flips Itachi underneath him. "I think you'll find this form of exploration even more enjoyable."

Itachi shivers upon witnessing the particularly predatory look in Kisame's eyes, never breaking their shared gaze. He refuses to let it rule him or show the slightest hint of fear or apprehension now. "Is that so?"

"Yes, that's so." Kisame places his hand by Itachi's mouth. "Make sure to suck as hard as you can and I'll be sure to do the same." Without further ado, he demonstrates some impressive flexibility with his jaw as seemingly effortlessly takes Itachi into his mouth.

He'd barely taken Kisame's fingers into his mouth before he groans around them and bucks his hips up, pushing his heated cock deep into Kisame's mouth. Itachi knew what would come next. After his little misadventure in trying to have Kakashi take him to bed when he was eighteen, his mentor and caretaker had sat him down and explained the precise mechanics of what Itachi had asked him to do. Needless to say, it had been rather enlightening.

But he sucks hard, harder still as his demons tongue swirls all around his turgid length. Itachi coats the thick, strong fingers liberally, nipping teasingly at them while trying in vain to keep his wits about him.

Kisame smirks at the compliance as he bobs his head up and down the length of his lover's cock. If there was one thing he knew for sure, it was hard for a man to argue with anything while they were getting this particular form of affection bestowed upon them.

As Itachi's body trembles with his impending orgasm, he flushes at just how easily Kisame seemed to be able to coax pleasure from him. Hadn't Kakashi said that a common measure of a man's skill was how long they were able to retain their arousal? He slowly releases Kisame's fingers from his mouth, desperate pants leaving red, wet, shining lips.

"This may feel uncomfortable at first, but soon enough you'll feel only pleasure." Kisame somehow manages to promise him as he continues teasing Itachi with his wicked mouth and slowly slides one digit into the future vampire's entrance.

Itachi hisses softly at the slightly painful intrusion but holds himself still, focusing on teetering on the edge of a glorious orgasm. Everything about Kisame seemed to be huge. His stature, his fingers, and... Itachi makes the mistake of looking down to see Kisame staring at him and cries out as the stubborn knot of pleasure within him bursts and floods his veins with heat.

Kisame had never been the most academic of demons, but he did have good instincts. Instinct told him this was another time to add a second digit and to search for that spot inside Itachi that would make him see stars.

Itachi bites his lip and tries not to squirm at the growing intrusion as two thick fingers feel around inside him. Perhaps next time, if there was one, it might be prudent to prepare himself first. If this was just what Kisame's fingers felt like, then the man's cock would be-

His back bends in a supine arc, rising high off the bed as his eyes fly wide open. Nothing more than a gasp escapes Itachi as his mouth opens in a soundless cry. A small trickle of blood finally escapes the corner of his mouth, no longer held there by the teeth biting into his bottom lip.

"Looks like I found it." Kisame smiles as he continues teasing Itachi. "Just let yourself feel good." He was so tight. This was going to take some...caution.

Itachi nods determinedly, rolling his hips a little and ignoring the burning stretch in favour of rubbing Kisame's fingers into his pleasure spot. It helped offset the burn as he adjusted around Kisame's thick fingers. "Kisame..." Breathless and rough, Itachi's voice sounds foreign to his own ears.

After a few minutes of experimenting, Kisame removes his fingers. "Do you think you're ready?" he smiles at his lover.

At this point, was no really an option? Itachi didn't feel so, not after he'd come this far with Kisame. "Yes." If he was going to give everything to someone...it would be this demon right here, even if he wasn't the...easiest of partners. He glances down at the large appendage threatening to impale him, but the anxiety dimmed as he looked back up into Kisame's eyes. "I am yours."

He smiles and nudges Itachi until he was on his hands and knees. "I love you." He places a soft kiss to a pale shoulder before slowly beginning to slide into him.

"Ngh..." Pale fingers curl into the bedsheets as Itachi leans forward on his forearms and tries to loosen his muscles and ease Kisame's breaching of his body. The pain was, fortunately, minimal, but it was tight and uncomfortable, and Itachi now realized why Kakashi had cautioned him when he was younger. Even when done properly, the first time was generally the most painful and uncomfortable as the body needed to adapt quickly. But Kisame was gentle...so gentle, deceptively so, as his outward appearance denoted a fierce, terrifying warrior.

After the first two agonizingly slow inches, it became easier, Itachi's muscles loosened and gave way to the incredible pressure filling up his backside. "Ah..."

Kisame places more kisses along his shoulders and back as he strokes Itachi. "Just relax." The hardest part was over. He'd adjust soon enough, though it was taking all his self control not to give into his instincts and claim his lover in the more traditional fashion of his people.

Itachi nods, breathing in and out slowly, drawing on his lessons in meditation, taught to him when he was only a small child. The worst was over, it would get easier. The pleasure would come soon. Clearing his mind, he focused solely on pushing all of the residual pain and discomfort from his body, breathing in, and pushing it towards his extremities as he breathed out. In and out, until he presses his hips back against Kisame's. "Now."

He hesitates for a second, but only for a second before sliding in and out of his lover. If Itachi thought he could handle it, he probably could. "You feel so fucking good." So perfect.

Pushing himself up and curving his back, Itachi groans throatily as Kisame slams right into his pleasure spot. His once limp cock twitches to life, growing harder with each subsequent thrust. "Yes...yes...Kisame..."

He groans and claims his lover. "So...so good." Again and again. They fit together perfectly. So this was what it meant to be mates.

There was a part of Itachi that knew that if Sasuke ever found out about this, he would never hear the end of it. On the other hand...he couldn't think much further than that. For a user of magic who prided himself on being aware of everything around him at all times, Itachi could barely string any coherent thoughts together, save for the painfully delicious sensation of Kisame relentlessly pounding into his most secret places as he moaned, groaned, and nearly screamed in concentrated pleasure.

But he could get one word out As he pressed his hips back, at least. "Harder!"

"Anything for you." He slams into his lover with reckless abandon. "Perfect." He was perfection personified really as Kisame drove into his lover again and again. Feeling as though he was flying while doing so.

Perfect...perfect...perfect... The word echoed in Itachi's head. And while he preferred not to get his sheets dirty, Itachi couldn't control it when his climax hit him hard and spattered over the bedsheets. "Kisame!" A growl, a snarl, a yep, he hadn't the words to describe his utterance of his lover's name, but Itachi didn't care. He no longer cared, so long as Kisame stayed with him. So long as he had his demon...he could face all of the other demons that haunted him. Because this demon was all that kept him from collapsing, his hands both gripping Itachi's hips and leaving bruises deep in his skin, and his lonely and broken heart, slowly and softly healing.

It didn't take long for Kisame to surrender to the sensation of being so connected to Itachi. His orgasm almost takes his breath away.

Itachi sags down towards the sheets, his blood pumping fiercely through his veins as his mind swam in mystical reaches unknown. "That...was..." He had no words to describe it. Painful and beautiful and soul-consuming. It was just like Kakashi's most romantic notions of it. Granted, the level of pain was a little intense, but Kisame's gentle mercy had made it bearable, pleasurable, comforting...and warm. He sighs softly and lowers himself to the sheets, not caring in the slightest that the fabric below was wet and sticky.

Kisame smiles as he slides himself out and embraces Itachi tightly. "I love you." There was nothing wrong with a little cuddling.

"Hn." Itachi's eyes slide shut, but he nuzzles into Kisame's shoulder, for once not bothering to try thinking when his brain clearly would rather be stuffed into a pillow. Kisame was warm, strong, and wrapped up all around him. Itachi...could get used to this. It made him happy.

* * *

A few hours later, Kisame smiles as he watches his lover sleep. It was strange, but Itachi could actually look more beautiful than normal. Not being chaste definitely agreed with him, even now there was a rosy hue to his skin, but his poor hair was everywhere. "I think this is the first time I've ever seen it out of place." He chuckles as he tries to fix the unruly strands while his lover sleeps.

But Itachi wasn't asleep for long, sensitive and missing the warmth of his lover's embrace, Itachi's eyes flicker open, blinking a few times before drifting towards Kisame. "Hm?" He frowns bemusedly.

"Oh just fixing your precious hair." He chuckles. "Go back to sleep."

Itachi's brow creases further and instead of going back to sleep, he gingerly leans over and reaches over into a drawer in the bedside table, pulling out a dark horsehair brush, the carved oak gilded with gold and silver. He hands it to Kisame and lays back down on his stomach, wrapping his arms around one of his pillows. He wasn't even going to try sitting up right now. That would be a futile battle at best. "I should have foreseen this little...problem."

"Don't worry." He laughs as he kisses Itachi and begins taming those lucious locks. "I'll fix it."

"Hn." Itachi had almost forgotten what a problem this could be. He brushed his hair every morning and every night, after every training session and every bath, all so that it wouldn't end up like this. and usually, he wore it tied back even to bed. Especially to bed. "I almost miss not having to brush it."

Kisame chuckles and shakes his head. "I've never seen someone with more beautiful hair." It was both amazing and disturbing. "Though I guess it suits you. Everything else about you is that way."

Itachi smirks smugly and he tilts his head, letting the brush slide through the silky strands. "Yes, I know. It runs in the family." And it was the one little bit of vanity that Itachi allowed himself these days. "My looks are among those things that Indra takes pride in, when it comes to me."

"I guess if you're going to be vain, you might as well have a reason to be." Kisame barks with laughter as he imagines Lord Indra preening.

"But not let it get in the way of victory, of course." His defeat by Hidan had stung, so Itachi had trained hard with Kakashi, learning everything he could from his vampire caretaker. And only when he was eighteen, did he finally defeat Kakashi for the first time. It had been...exhilarating. "Nothing must get in the way of victory, whatever that victory might entail."

"That sounds more like something I would say than you." Kisame watches him a bit warily. "You feeling alright, Itachi?"

Itachi goes silent for a moment, then nods slowly. "Yes, I'm fine." It was just dark thoughts from living for so long in a castle full of vampires. He looks over his shoulder, shifting his long locks across his back. "Now brush."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Kisame snorts with laughter as he sets about doing exactly that. "I never thought that I'd brush a human's hair, but love can make one do crazy things."

Going quiet, Itachi's fingers clench the pillow tightly. There it was again, those words. Kisame had said them so often lately. After ten long, lonely years, Itachi was being showered in love and affection. It made him feel complete inside. "And I, you." He glances back over his shoulder, his expression softening. "I am yours, Kisame." A month ago, two months, there...he never would have imagined saying such a thing. And yet...now he was.


	12. Chapter 12

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12

Vampires had always been strange, frightening creatures. Itachi had learned that as a small child, and it was only reinforced after coming to live in Indra's castle. Nothing, however, could have ever prepared him for the unholy terror that was Sasuke's feisty blonde Sire.

Itachi gulps audibly. She thought he was…cute? He hadn't been called cute by anyone other than Kisame since he was a child. "…Thank you, Lady Temari, but…shouldn't your compliments be directed towards Sasuke?" He was younger, smaller, and far cuter than Itachi was.

"You're welcome." She looks him up and down. "There's definitely a family resemblance, but you're human." The blonde doesn't disguise her obvious confusion at that. "Sasuke was furious with you for leaving your family behind to become a vampire and yet, your heart still beats." She didn't understand why at all. Itachi was more than old enough to have been turned already.

Ah, so beginning with a compliment, then proceeding directly into the interrogation. Itachi couldn't say that he'd expected that, but perhaps he should have. "Yes…well, it's a long story in its entirety. But it would not be a lie to say that I came here with great reluctance." Itachi crosses his arms, tugging slightly at his sleeves.

"A far cry from the picture Sasuke painted." She circles around him as if looking for clues as to how this came to be and trying to stare into his very soul. "Your brother is many things, but a liar he is not and despite this, your body language and heart rate do not betray you as speaking to me falsely. I find myself at a loss."

Itachi sighs. "I led Sasuke to believe that it was something I wanted so that he would not follow me here out of love or loyalty, or a foolish notion that he could save me." But his plan had oh so clearly backfired. "In truth, Lord Indra summoned me to the castle twice, before then sending Kakashi to come and fetch me for him. He…appreciated my abilities and found himself wanting an heir to turn from the human line he sired long ago. I fit his expectations, and so he wanted me. And what Lord Indra wants…he gets. If I refused, there was every chance that he would take it as a grave insult and punish my family for it." And few human clans could stand up to the wrath of a vampire lord, not to mention one with a powerful court.

She tilts her head at that, not sure what to make of it. "That's quite a lot of information to entrust to someone you just met." Which meant he had to be sincere. No one could make up such a story on the spot. Not even her. "I'm assuming Sasuke knows the truth. That's why you're still breathing. That and he's too smart to kill someone Indra favors. He probably just wanted to humiliate you."

"In that case, he is a few years too late." Itachi had already been put through the ringer of the court. There wasn't much left that could be done, really. "Though if it is any consolation, I will not be breathing much longer. I tell you this because you are Sasuke's Sire, and therefore, you are precious to someone I care the world for."

"Indra is planning to turn you then." The blonde pauses as she considers that. "In all honesty, I care for Sasuke a great deal." She had hoped to take him as her lover, but it seemed Gaara had likely beaten her to the chase there. "I'm afraid that I have no idea how he'll react to all of this, but I shall try to reason with him." Not that she could blame Gaara, if that was the case. She'd known for quite some time where her youngest brother's taste laid and they were with women.

"He knows already." If not the details, then the general point. And he'd been there when Indra had summoned Itachi. "As for what he plans to do now that he has that information, I do not know, save for that he plans to stay and become embroiled in court politics."

Temari had known the man for five minutes and the vampiress could already tell the disdain Itachi held for politics. "It's just as well." She frowns and shakes her head. It seemed Sasuke wasn't the only one who needed reasoned with. "Lord Indra will find out that Sasuke is your brother and take an interest in him. Rejecting an invitation would be foolish. Would you prefer him to be share your loathing for politics and be miserable here or foolish and turn down the invitation?" Those seemed to be the only two possible outcomes at the moment.

"He has already accepted the invitation. And as for my loathing of politics, it is more a loathing of those playing the game." Itachi sighs quietly, frustrated with this state of affairs. "I have, of course, offered Sasuke my knowledge of the court and its politics, as well as my support once I have been turned."

"If nothing else, you're an honest one." Temari nods at him. "Best to deal with the cards we've been dealt then."

"Yes…quite so." Itachi shifts on the balls of his feet, slightly nervous under the vampiress' gaze. "I take it that you are…satisfied, then?"

She couldn't let him off the hook just yet. "You unintentionally caused my Childe a great deal of pain, I'm afraid that our conversation isn't over just yet." The vampiress watches him like a hawk. "So you might as well tell me what you know about this court because I dare say it is more than I."

"You mean apart from the fact that more than half of the court is filled with perverts, and at least a quarter wish to drain me dry?" Itachi can't help but roll his eyes. "The things I could tell you would fill several tomes in the library."

"Only half and a quarter?" She laughs, but nods at him. "Yes, beyond the obvious."

Itachi grumbles irritably. "Only with regards to me, specifically. But very well, I will tell you what I know." Perhaps over some dinner, Itachi was getting rather hungry. "The kitchens should be fairly empty at this time of the afternoon." He turns his back to her and begins striding down the hall. He looks back over his shoulder once. "If you would care to join me?"

"I would love to." She smiles as she walks off with him. "Such a shame that the shark has already claimed you really." Oh well. She'd find her match eventually.

Red blossoms across Itachi's cheeks instantly. "…Yes, he has." Goodness, what had he gotten himself into. "If you like, I know several members of Indra's court that you may find…interesting."

"I prefer vampires over other types of demons, but you have my attention." The poor thing was already blushing. How quaint.

Attention was something that Itachi could do much better without.

* * *

On the other side of the castle, Sasuke was hard at work. He had a vampire to track down. The very same one who had taken Itachi away from him in the first place in fact.

Luckily, Temari had taught him well. That and there was something to be said for instinct. So Sasuke was able to corner the deviant in the library easily. He was, no surprise, reading complete filth.

"Kakashi." Sasuke watches him with ruby red eyes, deciding to alert him to his presence in the interest of civility for now.

"Hm?" Kakashi barely raises his eyes from the erotic novel in hand, blinking once at Sasuke before returning his attention to the story. "Ah, if it isn't Itachi's little brother. Are you here for a recommendation?"

"If you mean a reading recommendation, no." His eyes narrow. "If you mean a recommendation on how to deal with him, then yes. Everything that he ever told me from the moment you showed up until very recently was a lie."

"…I seem to recall that he misled you for approximately two minutes before coming here to this castle." Kakashi wouldn't have called them lies, for Itachi was right when he said that the people at the castle were powerful, and he was also right in saying that Sasuke was not powerful enough to be of interest at the time, and while he delievered it in such a way as to convey arrogance and isolation as he broke away from his clan, his words themselves had not been false, save for one true lie. "The only lie he spoke to you that day was that he would forget you."

It took all his control not to lunge at the bastard for such a comment. "I know damn well you're not a simpleton." He growls. "So stop acting like one. You know as well as I that 'misleading' me and lying in this case was a distinction without any real difference."

Kakashi's eyes sharpen with a vivid scarlet as he turns his gaze up to the impatient young vampire before him. "And your point? Would you rather have come here with Itachi, only to spend fifteen years waiting for Indra to turn you, perhaps the same ten as Itachi if he grew impatient?"

"I don't know." The urge to rip his throat out was powerful, but Sasuke wills himself not to. "I would have rather been given the fucking choice or been told the truth though!" Not to have been treated as if he was some pet that was too stupid to know any better. "Clearly such a thought is a foreign concept to you and I have wasted both our time. You should go back to reading your...literature."

"Oh? And her eI thought you were here to ask about Itachi." Kakashi snaps his book shut, placing it back inside a pouch at his hip. "Or did I hear that wrong?"

"I was." Sasuke begins walking away. "I just realized that there's no use asking you anything about him. You won't give me the answers I seek." If he was going to survive at court, he couldn't allow his bloodlust to get the better of him. Kakashi whether intentionally or unintentionally was not making that easy.

"If you want to know how to deal with Itachi, the answer is quite simple." Kakashi leans back in his chair, watching Sasuke walk away. "First, you need to understand him, as well as the events of the last decade while the two of you were kept apart. When you understand these two things, then you will know how to interact with Itachi Uchiha."

It was hard not to issue a scathing retort at that, but obviously walking away had worked. "I'm listening." For whatever reason, Kakashi seemed willing to defend Itachi. That and he was obviously the sort of vampire who enjoyed lording whatever information he knew that others didn't over them. Probably gave him almost as much of a thrill as his novels did. "Because I'm clearly missing most of the story."

"Yes…you are." And Kakashi knew every bit and piece of it. "…Did you know that on the second night Itachi was here, a vampire from Indra's court beat him into unconsciousness and cracked his skull against the floor of the throne room? Itachi put up a good fight, using all of the magical tools at his disposal, even stealing my sword as a last resort at stabbing the vampire through the heart. Indra intervened, of course."

"I wasn't aware." He didn't know how to feel about that. "Continue." So he just falls masks whatever sea of emotions was forming in his gut with a stoic expression. Kakashi would probably tell him more, if he did that anyway.

"Well, as you can see, he had quite the…exciting introduction to court life." And Kakashi had taken rather perverse pleasure in tracking Hidan down after that incident. "After that night, he grew to be silent in the presence of others, particularly vampires. He believed that if no one heard him speak, it would prevent him from accidentally insulting a being more powerful than himself. It worked, for the most part. But his submissive behavior often drew a great deal of unwanted attention. As a child, many of Indra's court desired him for his blood. And as he grew, even more came to desire him not only for the blood of an innocent human in their midst, but for the beautiful picture he presented to them. By the time he was sixteen, he knew what the whispers about the castle were saying about him."

Sasuke wasn't completely naive. He knew bloodlust and regular lust often blurred together in a beautiful or horrific symphony depending on who you asked. "Despite all that, at some point he took a demon to his bed." Knowing it in theory though was different than hearing someone give voice to the idea. It disturbed him. "That's all very interesting. How does that apply to my relationship to him today though?" Whether it was out of pity for his brother or the realization it could have just as easily been him, Sasuke didn't know. He did know one thing though, had he been the older brother, his approach would have been different than Itachi's. That or maybe he was deluding himself. At thirteen, he might not have realized what he knew about vampires. That submissiveness towards vampires as a human never worked.

Kakashi holds up his hand. "Itachi's romance with Kisame is a fairly recent development. So recent, in fact, that your little sparring match with him granted you and only you the chance to drink his blood before he did indeed take a demon to his bed."

"I require that specific detail?" Sasuke suddenly feels rather ill.

"No, but I thought it might be interesting to compare the taste of his blood then to the taste of his blood now, to see if there is any merit to virgin blood tasting sweeter." Kakashi had never really put much stock in it himself, but if it turned out to be true, that would be a most interesting development. "But in any case, he knew that there were many vampires, some minor, some less so, who would be more than happy to take him to their bed, with…or without his consent. Indra may have forbidden such a thing, but even he cannot be everywhere at all times."

"He's my brother, you damn deviant." Sasuke scowls at him. "Whatever I feel for him doesn't change that fact." Kakashi apparently wasn't going to tell him anything that wasn't going to make him vomit, that Sasuke couldn't have guessed. "I don't need to know about his history or lack of history as a lover. That's not useful to me."

Very well, Sasuke wanted something different? Kakashi would give him something different. "Itachi's emotional state has been relatively stable the last five years. He trained with me until the day he could defeat me in a training battle, and he gained some confidence from that. When wielding a weapon, Itachi is calm, confident, and could easily pass for a young vampire if he so desired." But that was never something that he desired.

"Until then, that was certainly not the case. If you wish to know something that will determine how carefully you must tread around him, then I will tell you this." Kakashi's eyes sadden, remembering the broken form of the yound adolescent he found laying in the grass. "During one of his training sessions, alone, Itachi 'slipped' from the roof and fell four stories from one of the citadel's terraces to a small courtyard below. It was the scent of his blood that led me to him that morning. And even with the help of mine and Lord Indra's blood, it took his body weeks to recover, particularly when he refused to eat. And for months, he screamed himself awake with nightmares and cried himself to sleep when he believed I could not see."

That…was Itachi's reality in this place. And many of those things, Kakashi had not even told Indra about. "He has not had another…accident since he was fifteen." Likely because he survived.

Sasuke could read between the lines. "I see." That hadn't been an accident. "Did he ever mention our parents?" That was really all he needed to know except that. Whether or not Sasuke would tell them about his visit to the castle, he wasn't sure. "At all? It doesn't matter how insignificant the comment may have seemed." If he did, the Uchiha didn't know if he would end up telling them about whatever Itachi may have said about them. Still, some part of him wanted to know and knew that his parents deserved to know, if his brother hadn't completely severed that link.

Kakashi grows quiet, pensive, remembering everything said and left unsaid by Itachi. "…Rarely, but yes. Not long after Itachi arrived here, he had me bring a letter to your parents and a small package to your mother. A…token that she could keep or bury or burn, whatever might give her peace. He also inquired about having you visit him, and there was potential for him to pay visits to your family. But only for a day here and there."

Perhaps it had been a mercy, perhaps a cruelty, but the child had been wise beyond his years. "Itachi did not believe that he would be able to fulfill the bargain he was here to represent if he had the chance to go home again. If he went, he believed that he wouldn't have the strength to leave a second time. So nowadays, he often sits on the roof and looks out at the valley where your village rests. It is one of the places he goes to be alone with his thoughts."

"I suppose that might give them some measure of comfort." He still didn't like Kakashi, but he had given Sasuke the information he needed. Far more than he needed really and the urge to vomit was almost overwhelming. "Thank you. I'm sure you have other matters to attend to. So with that, I bid you goodnight." If he never saw the other bloodsucker again, it would be too soon. Though Sasuke knew that wasn't particularly realistic. They both lived at court now.

"Goodnight, Sasuke." Kakashi gets his book out and watches Sasuke with utmost care. "And be gentle with Itachi. It's very rare that he receives any kind of comfort." Less so now that he had a demon at his beck and call, but still, Itachi had spent the last ten years very isolated. And Kakashi knew how bad it was for Itachi's mental health.

He was tempted to leave Kakashi with a rude greeting involving his middle finger, but Sasuke refrains. Screw this. He needed to find a feeder.

* * *

Meanwhile Kisame carefully makes his way towards where he knew a certain red head would be. It had become apparent that they were going to have to work together, if their respective favorite Uchihas were going to find any peace. He could only hope that the vampire was feeling cooperative.

Gaara had a fondness for animals, so it was no surprise that he found some much-needed peace in the stables among the horses. No intrigue, no angst, no blood. Just the soft, gentle presence of animals who did not judge as readily as those gifted with actual speech.

"Gaara." Great. It just had to be the stables. "I want to talk to you about a certain pair of brothers." Horses were always scared of him. The red head couldn't have picked a worse spot.

The vampire watches Kisame approach carefully and runs his hand down the snout of the nearest mare to calm her. "I see." So it had finally come to this. "I assume that this is about Sasuke's ill-conceived plot of revenge and Itachi's preference for silence and isolation brought on by Sasuke's loss?" At least, this much he had surmised from watching their interactions and listening to their conversation.

The vamp was great at summarizing things. "Exactly." He nods. Kisame wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign, but it did save a lot of time. "I want what's best for Itachi and you want what's best for Sasuke. So we have common ground."

"Which involves neither of them killing the other." Because that would surely leave the soul of the survivor in tatters. "Shall we perhaps take this conversation elsewhere?" Gaara glances around at the restless animals. "You are making the horses nervous."

"Exactly and sorry about that." Kisame sighs and shakes his head. "They've never cared for me. They sense I'm a predator."

"I believe it's more they sense your wild temperament." After all, the animals were supposed to be the wild one, less so their riders. Gaara brushes down the mare's man and murmurs a few soft words to her before stepping away and out of the stables with the demon. Perhaps simly going on a walk might be best for this discussion. "Now, I assume that you have certain expectations regarding the treatment of your lover."

Kisame sighs as he crosses his arms. "Don't get me wrong, the kid has every right to be angry." That didn't mean that he wanted to see Itachi suffer for it. "I'm not sure if they'll ever really be able to mend things, but I don't want it to get physical. Sasuke's currently got an unfair advantage in that being a vampire and Itachi fancies himself a martyr." It just wouldn't end well.

"And yet, I can understand why Itachi chose to do what he did." It was rather funny that Gaara empathized with Itachi, while Kisame understood Sasuke's feelings. Perhaps that was why both pairs worked. "I believe that it would be in their best interest to reconcile as much as that may be possible. Not only will it grant Itachi the reprieve he requires, but it will help to dull and heal the aching wounds within Sasuke as well."

"I don't think a full reconciliation is possible." Kisame paces a bit as he mulls it over. "Kid's been hurt too much and Itachi wouldn't push for it. Though if Sasuke just ignores Itachi, that will hurt him as well. I think that's the route that Sasuke will try to take at first." Brat was too smart to try to kill Indra's favorite. So what else was there for him to do?

"They will never be as close as they once were, but I believe that it may be possible to return them to a comfortable acceptance of each other, given time. Though you are correct, it is Sasuke who will require convincing." And Gaara may have a few thoughts here and there regarding how to go about that. "It is obvious that Itachi still cares deeply for him." Which is why Gaara felt just a little conflicted. This was the man who had hurt Sasuke to the point of nearly destroying him…all for the sake of protecting him. What a mess those two had made of themselves…

Kisame wasn't entirely sure they'd ever get passed the ignore or cold civility stage, but Gaara seemed hopeful. "You're smarter than me." At least the red head gave off the impression of being more strategic anyway. "My skill lays with how to fight and swords. Not this sort of thing." He frowns, hating to admit that. "Did you have any ideas how we might go about doing so?"

Well, there were a few things that might help. "Initially, Sasuke's rage simmered down into a manageable and controlled anger when he discovered that Itachi was still human. In order to foster acceptance, one must foster understanding. The greater Sasuke's understanding of Itachi's motives, as well as of his brother as a person, the calmer and more focused he will become. And potentially more forgiving, depending on what turns up. They have grown apart for ten years, thus…I am certain that there are things about one another that they have never had the chance to explore. I would suggest that we encourage them to spar together. Many friendships begin with the meeting of blades. Similarly, sharing meals appears to foster similar bonds as well. Perhaps the mending of a broken bond can be made easier by these same principles."

"I was with you until you said it was a good idea for them to fight." He looks at Gaara as though he had lost his mind. "Sasuke is a vampire and he holds a lot of rage towards Itachi. That won't end well."

"Do you not believe in your lover's skills?" Gaara raises a quizzical eyebrow. "I was under the impression that, for a human, Itachi was extremely skilled and could take on half a dozen vampires at once when putting in sufficient effort. I am not suggesting a grudge bout to the death, but merely a spar with carefully chosen rules and none of the secrecy that Sasuke used during their first bout. He controlled himself well enough then, and it was only when Itachi encouraged him to drink that things jumped out of control. With the both of us there and prepared, such a thing will not happen a second time."

He crosses his arms. "Of course, I believe in his skills. That doesn't negate what I said though." Kisame eyes Gaara was if he was a rabid dog. "You actually believe that Sasuke wouldn't go for the kill in such a scenario? Itachi can hold his own in any fight, but he'd let the brat take his life out of penance, if Sasuke really wanted to kill him."

"I don't like it." He throws his hands up in the air in disbelief. "I thought you were the smarter of the two of us, but I don't have any idea. We'll end up having to prevent a bloodbath, but I don't have any better ideas." How ironic, he mused. A vampire would be helping him to prevent a bloodbath, but that was the reality of their situation.

"Sasuke will not kill Itachi." Gaara smiles grimly. "If nothing else, it seems that he believes that death would be 'too good for Itachi' and that his brother does not deserve the mercy of a quick death." And then, of course, there was the matter of that fire. "He is also wary of that black fire your lover wields."

"I wouldn't count on that, but he'd be stupid not to be wary of the black fire." Kisame sighs and shakes his head. "I suppose we'll see what happens then."

"And if it does appear that Sasuke wishes to kill Itachi after all, I know of many a way to distract him." Gaara smirks as a few potential images cross his mind. "After all, he is a mere newborn, only a few months into his vampiric powers. Were I to insist on stopping him from pursuing a certain course of action, he would find himself unable to resist me." Just as Sasuke could not resist Gaara's touch when Sasuke mewed so sweetly in his arms.

"I'm sure you could, if push came to shove." He shrugs as he watches the vampire carefully. "I just hope you can handle the fallout from such an action. Something tells me that he's not the sort to take that laying down." Neither was Itachi for that matter.

"Then I suppose that it is a good thing that I am both a great seal older than him, and rather persuasive when it comes to coaxing Sasuke into calming down." It involved lots of kisses, and Gaara knew all the right places by now. "I'm sure that you can say the same in regard to Itachi."

"I like to think so." Kisame smirks at the thought.


	13. Chapter 13

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 13

What could have been minutes or hours later, Sasuke finds himself back in the room he shared with Gaara. He had been hoping that a certain enigmatic red head would distract him from well, everything for awhile. Sadly, his hopes it was not to be. The bed was empty save for himself and regrettably, his thoughts.

"I swear I'm being mocked." Sasuke punches the pillow in frustration, causing it to burst and the goose feathers stuffed inside it to go flying everywhere. It certainly felt that way. Kakashi had told him everything he wanted to know and then some. Far too much really.

He wasn't sure whether to feel more angry, sad, or lost. Right now the last option was winning out though. He had no real anchor anymore. His hatred of Itachi had been the driving force for most of his life and now, he didn't even have that. That human shared his brother's face, but he was neither the hero of Sasuke's younger mind, nor the villain of his one any longer.

Mostly he felt pity and rage. Rage that Itachi had yet again 'bested' him in some way. The bastard couldn't even let him have his revenge. Pity for all the things that had happened to him and damn it, he really wished Gaara was here.

"I'm pathetic." He sighs and shakes his head. "I shouldn't have drug him here." Sasuke probably would have been better off not knowing the truth. Hating Itachi was easier and he could have stayed with the Sabaku Family and been none the wiser. He didn't really have any productive goals at the moment. So Sasuke would just have to make some new ones. He was nothing, if not a goal-oriented creature.

Gaara deserved better than some kicked puppy who was too weak to take his revenge or move on with his life. For now, he'd just focus on his red head and being a better vampire than Itachi could ever be. Itachi hated vampires. Not without reason, but Sasuke loved being a vampire for one simple fact. He was no longer weak. Never again would he be helpless because he lacked the physical strength to fight back and now, if Gaara was indeed the one he was meant to be with, he could have an eternity with him. (That or at least far longer than a human would ever get with their intended).

The door to the lavish chambers opens with a soft swish of air, the noble vampire stepping inside with barely a sound. Gaara frowns as he finds Sasuke on the bed and swiftly closes the door behind himmself. He strides forward, not at all sure what to expect from Sasuke right now. He looked, once more, like he'd had the world ripped out from under him. "Sasuke…I take it that you tracked down Kakashi?"

"I did, but I don't wish to talk about him anymore." If he did, Sasuke might hunt the bastard down and rip his heart out and well, Lord Indra would likely be rather displeased about that. "Or anyone else, but us for now." He smiles at Gaara as he beckons the other vampire to join him on the bed.

Ah, so it had gone badly, then. "Of course. As you wish, Sasuke." Gaara smiles softly at his beloved as he sits next to him on the bed. He presses a soft kiss to Sasuke's lips. "Is that better?"

Sasuke nods as he caresses Gaara's cheek. "A bit, yes." Before pushing him onto his back and straddling him. "I confess that I feel guilty. You brought me here when you didn't have to and tried to help me with my goals, only to realize that I was a fool who didn't know the truth." Sasuke sighs as he slides his hands underneath Gaara's shirt and reveals in the wickedly firm muscles he felt underneath his fingertips. "You've tried so hard to make me happy. Our relationship hasn't been very equal. I've been unfair to you."

Well, this was an unexpected development. And perhaps Gaara's own plans would be made easier by whatever Sasuke had discovered. But for now…that wasn't the most pressing issue. No, the most pressing issue was the quickly inflating arousal that would soon be pressing into Sasuke's backside.

Gaara's gaze moves to Sasuke's hands, where they shift his shirt away from his skin. "And it would seem that you have plans to remedy this…perceived imbalance of justice?"

"Well, I told you what I wanted." Sasuke brushes his lips against Gaara's own. "So I thought you could tell me what you wanted and I would try to provide it for you." There was one slight issue with that, if his intended asked for the obvious. "If I don't know how, I'm sure you can teach me." Sasuke understood in theory how they could be with each other, but not in practice. Heated kisses and touches were one thing, but joining together was a little more perplexing.

"Oh, there is quite a lot that I could teach you." Gaara runs his hands up Sasuke's back, sliding his hands under Sasuke's own loosened tunic and sliding it up towards his head. "First, however, there are certain things that must be…disposed of."

Sasuke sighs in contentment at the sensual touch and nods. "I can manage that." He didn't hesitate to slip the fabric over his head and to yank it off in one fell swoop. Sasuke had lost most of his modesty after becoming a vampire and frankly, he didn't particularly miss it all that much.

Gaara marvels at the porcelain perfection as he runs his fingers over it. "You are beautiful…" All moonlight-pale skin and lithe muscles, smooth and soft and hard beneath his touch.

He normally would have protested the label, but Gaara's touch was a balm on his soul after his dealings with Kakashi. One that he needed more than he wanted could ever say or would ever admit to. That and the way he said it was so reverent. Sasuke couldn't muster even the slightest bit of vexation at the other vampire. "I'm glad you think so." He smiles as he reaches for Gaara's shirt.

Gaara doesn't resist in the slightest as his shirt moves up his skin. His fingers tug around his shoulders, removing the long cloth garment and ruffling his hair as he pushes it over his head. "So, what would like to explore first, Sasuke?"

His eyes drift lazily over Gaara's half naked form. "I'm a little at a loss." Sasuke smiles at him slyly as he kisses Gaara. "I feel a bit spoiled by all the choices."

"Hm…then let me spoil you a little more." Gaara rolls them over and starts to work at the fastenings of Sasuke's trousers. "After all, you've been quite well-behaved lately." Or at least he hadn't caused a serious commotion or killed anyone. Which, for a vampire, constituted very good behavior.

"I like that idea, but I thought I was going to spoil you for a change." Sasuke smiles at him.

"Then feel free to…try." Gaara smirks as he pulls down Sasuke's trousers, revealing inch after inch of Sasuke's most intimate skin. He slides his palms down Sasuke's legs, pushing the fabric down and right off of his beloved's ankles.

Sasuke allows Gaara to remove his trousers. Despite the fact he was a vampire, he feels his cheeks burn slightly at being completely exposed, but he quickly returns the favor. If his trousers had to go, so did Gaara's.

"You truly are so beautiful…" Gaara places a few tender kisses along Sasuke's neck, sucking dark bruises into the soft skin. They would be gone before morning, but he could revel in the marks upon Sasuke's form for now.

Sasuke moans at the attention as he leans against Gaara. "So are you." Reveling in the attention as his hands trail ever lower. First over his shoulder. Then over that sculpted chest and finally over his powerful thighs until he grasps his intended target, which was already coming to life before his very eyes.

Gaara gasps softly, his fingers curling into the bedsheets around Sasuke's head as the young vampire begins stroking him. His beloved could explore as he pleased, so long as he kept doing THAT. "Sasuke…" He nips at Sasuke's earlobe as he bucks into that pale hand.

"Mmm?" He lets out a quiet mew at the nip. "You seem to like being touched here." Experimentally, he moves his hands faster.

A groan falls from Gaara's lips and he kneels over Sasuke, leaning back just enough to comfortably gras Sasuke's own hardened shaft. "There are few…alive or dead…who do not enjoy being touched this way."

"Yeah. That sounds accurate." Sasuke lets out a sigh of contentment. "Do you prefer fast or slow?"

Fast sounded rather nice, but slow might be best for now. "This pace is fine. I would not wish to disappoint you by failing to last long enough to drive you to euphoria." Though speaking of, it was probably best to start such preparations. So Gaara holds his fingers up to Sasuke's mouth, even as he strokes the young vampire lightly. "Now suck."

"That's a strange fetish." Sasuke shakes his head, but obediently covers the digits with his mouth. If that's what Gaara found erotic, well it was a little bizarre. Though it didn't really bother him.

Not a fetish, but Sasuke would see that soon enough. "Now, be sure to leave them wet for me." He would teach Sasuke step by step if that is what it took.

He lavishes the digits with his tongue. In the back of his mind, Sasuke felt as though he was missing something important. Though he trusted Gaara. So he keeps sucking until the red head tells him to stop.

"Good." Gaara carefully extracts the digits from Sasuke's mouth and withdraws his hand from the stroking of Sasuke's arousal. "Now, it is safest to proceed after some further preparation." He pivots on the bed, placing his mouth by Sasuke's heated arousal, and his own by Sasuke's. He lowers his head to the throbbing erection and licks at the tip.

Sasuke gasps and moans. "Fuck!" He wasn't completely naive. He'd heard of this particular act, but he'd never experienced it firsthand before. It was safe to say it was exceeding his expectations so he bucks against his intended's mouth lightly as he tries his damest not to fuck his throat raw while taking a few tentative licks and sucks at Gaara's own arousal.

Gaara sinks his mouth down on Sasuke, taking him deeper and demonstrating thoroughly just what this act entailed. He swirls his tongue about the head and shaft, humming softly around the sensitive length.

"Gaara!" Sasuke didn't even recognize his own voice at this point, but somewhere in euphoria's embrace, he dimly realizes the red head would likely expect him to recipocate. So that's what he tries to do as he takes more of his lover into his mouth and sucks. Brushing his lips against the sensitive flesh and even dragging the very tip of his fangs over them. Ever mindful never to break the skin.

The elder groans and forces his hips to stay up as he ever so carefully circles Sasuke's entrance with a slippery finger, sliding it inside with the utmost care.

Sasuke stiffens at the intrusion, but decides it was decidedly less of one than the rest of Gaara was likely to be. It wasn't quite painful, but odd. Deciding to focus on Gaara's mouth instead of his hand, the Uchiha lightly thrusts forward while going back to his previous task. Teasing Gaara just the way the red head teased him.

Gaara sucks a little harder, just barely scraping his teeth over the sensitive skin as he wiggles his finger inside, stretching Sasuke gently until he can insert another. He removes his mouth for just a few moments. "Good, just relax…"

Sasuke gives him a dirty look, trying not to growl at the sudden stop. "You stopped to tell me that?" He somehow manages to get his point across even while lapping at Gaara's arousal. Trying not to focus on anything else.

"Mhm." Gaara hums around his lover's arousal once more, stretching him open with two careful, loving fingers. He probes deeply inside Sasuke, searching around for the one place that would make Sasuke's complaints cease entirely.

Pleased that Gaara had given him what he wanted, Sasuke decides to reward the other vampire by lavishing his arousal in affectionate licks. The other half of their lovemaking, he wasn't so sure about, but the feeling of Gaara's mouth wrapped around him and the sounds the red head was making just for him, well that was enough to make his blood burn with desire. "It's alright." He briefly releases Gaara with a loud pop. "I'm not made of glass. You don't have to treat me like I am."

Well, good. Gaara smirks as he shoves him fingers deeper, pressing harshly against the soft, warm inner wall. He presses his tongue into the slit at the head of Sasuke's cock, driving it in as deeply as he can.

Sasuke gasps as the other vampire does so. Before he wouldn't have classified the second half of Gaara's administrations as painful or erotic, but the red head just touched something inside him that felt good. The more aggressive treatment of his arousal was shocking, but also pleasurable. So he did the only thing he could do. Moan.

Good…very good. As Sasuke shivers underneath him, moaning and squirming, Gaara turns himself around carefully and adds the third finger to stretch Sasuke wide. And as he presses into that spot that made Sasuke moan so much, he tastes the slightly salty taste of Sasuke's essence on his tongue and hears a garbled scream that may have been some mangled form of his name.

It was too much. Sasuke feels his release smack into him like a speeding carriage. "Fuck!" He saw stars everywhere.

Gaara releases Sasuke from his mouth with a smug smirk and removes his fingers after teasing Sasuke's spot a little longer. "Are you ready?" He positions his dripping cock at Sasuke's entrance, prodding gently as he lifts Sasuke's legs over his shoulders.

"I told you that I'm not made of glass." Sasuke pants. As if he was going to say anything else. HE could barely think at all. "I've been ready. I was w-waiting for you to catch up."

Well, then…if Sasuke was so ready, then… "Suit yourself, Sasuke." Gaara kisses Sasuke like a precious treasure, while also hitching up his legs and driving inside the young vampire in one smooth, powerful thrust.

Sasuke makes a hiss that was caught somewhere between pleasure and pain. Pride was a powerful thing though as he arches against Gaara to encourage him forward.

Groaning softly, Gaara bucks his hips against Sasuke's backside. That boundary between pleasure and pain could be a powerful thing, Gaara knew that. So he drives forward again, aiming precisely and determinedly for the place that once made Sasuke moan so erotically for him.

Sasuke tries to match his pace. Letting out something that was caught between a moan and yelp when Gaara strikes that spot again. The red head was a glorious sight with those blood red locks soaked to his fair skin and seafoam green eyes glimmering with desire. His breaths coming out in lustful pants. Enough to send Sasuke soul spiraling despite the fact his body was still struggling to accommodate his lover.

Gaara groans deeply and runs his fingers through Sasuke's hair, pressing fiery kisses along the skin of his neck as he thrusts evenly into Sasuke's wonderfully tight heat. "Sasuke…" He bites down at the juncture of Sasuke's neck and shoulder, letting the sweet taste of Sasuke's blood wash over his tongue.

He would have bitten him back, but Sasuke couldn't quite reach Gaara. It was frustrating, but the feeling of his fangs piercing his skin was incredibly erotic. A pleasurable rush with just a slight hint of pain and more than a small amount of desperation. It meant Gaara needed him and that makes him smile.

Drinking deeply, but not too deeply, Gaara savors the taste of Sasuke's blood like a fine wine, before retracting his fangs and pressing bloody kisses to Sasuke neck as he slowly bends Sasuke's legs back towards his head. Yes, this is the one he wanted to keep forever. And to prove his trust in this beautiful, innocent vampire beneath him, he bares his neck and growls softly in Sasuke's ear. "You are mine."

The heady mix of sex and blood loss made for an almost delirious combination, but somewhere in the back of his mind Sasuke registers Gaara's words. "Mine." That and what the red head was offering him. His blood. So he sinks his fangs into the other man's neck as he begins drinking. Moaning at the rich flavor and power that flowed through the other vampire's veins.

Gaara weathers the blood loss easily as he slams into Sasuke's spot with a wild and beautiful fury, not letting up for an instant as he leaves bloody kisses wherever he could reach.

"Gaara!" In that moment, his lover was like an animal of some kind. Beautiful and terrifying all at once as feels the edges of his vision blur and then... that euphoria from earlier was back. So were the stars. He could swear that he could almost touch them.

The elder vampire shudders with release, tensing up for a moment as he spills himself deep inside Sasuke. And when his arms finally cease their trembling, he gathers Sasuke up into his arms and nuzzles fondly into his neck. "You are mine…for now and forever…"

"Mmm you're a possessive bastard sometimes." Sasuke smiles at him as he basks in the attention. "You're lucky that I don't mind."

"Aren't you possessive as well?" Gaara smiles into Sasuke's bloody neck. "You bit me back."

"I'm a vampire." He smiles at Gaara. "Biting is what I'm supposed to do, but I'll admit to being possessive as well." He licks a few stray drops of blood off of Gaara's lips.

"Good." Then that meant that Sasuke wouldn't stray. For Gaara would not either. He captures Sasuke's lips in a kiss, pulling the younger's tongue into a soft and sensual dance. "You learn very quickly, I am impressed."

He kisses back eagerly. "I wanted to be fair to you." Sasuke looks at him after breaking the kiss and caresses his cheek. "Besides, I've always been a quick study. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to blend in here."

"Yes…though you may be better at blending together than blending in." After all, Sasuke was incredibly beautiful, even for a vampire. Blending in was not something that he would ever truly be expected to do. Especially not if he had Indra's favor. But Gaara smirks. "I prefer it when we blend together."

"I'm sure you do." Sasuke smiles as he traces the length of Gaara's arm with his hand.

Gaara's smirk widens, becoming ever more smug. "Should I not, when I have such an exquisite lover in my bed?"

He smirks at that. "You're going to make me horribly vain at this rate." Sasuke rests his head on Gaara's shoulder. "But I love you anyway."

"And I, you." With a kiss to Sasuke's forehead, nose, and then lips, Gaara pulls the covers over them and holds Sasuke close to his chest. Whatever was haunting him, such talk could be left until the morning. For now, he would do what he could to comfort his lover and bring his mind and heart some peace.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to succumb to sleep. At least for now, in the arms of his lover, he didn't have to think about everything that had happened. About what Kakashi had said or really, much of anything.

Gaara plays with his sleeping lover's hair, contemplating what he and Kisame had discussed in the hours prior to this very welcome development. Sasuke seemed haunted, troubled, and frustrated. Why was, for now, a mystery. But he had a sinking suspicion that once he reached the middle of this quagmire, it would, as always, revolve once more around Itachi Uchiha.

* * *

After a good, long night's sleep, Gaara carefully sponges the blood from Sasuke's skin, leaving no trace of their previous activities save for faint red stains adorning Sasuke's skin like beautiful jewels.

"Mmm." Sasuke was still in that blissful place halfway between being asleep and awake.

"Good morning." Gaara presses a kiss to Sasuke's throat, humming softly against the sensitive skin. "How did you sleep?"

He smiles at the attention. "Like a newborn babe." Yes, he just stay here. There wasn't any need to worry about anything else.

"I'm glad, you seemed upset yesterday." And though he was loathe to spoil Sasuke's good mood, it was better to get to the bottom of it than not. "…Did someone or something upset you?"

"Yes, yes, and no." Sasuke shakes his head at him. "Yes, something upset me. Yes, someone upset me and no, I'd rather not speak on it."

Someone AND something. That did not bode well. "Are you certain that you would rather just leave it be?" Gaara runs his fingers through Sasuke's hair, the question a simple one, and not meant to press.

"Killing Kakashi would probably upset Indra." Sasuke shrugs. "So that seems the better alternative and it's not as if there's anything else, I can do about it."

Ah…if it was Kakashi who'd upset him, then Gaara could guess what this was about. "It was about Itachi, then?" With how Sasuke had been acting lately, it wasn't a surprise that he would go to Kakashi for answers. Sasuke had none of his own, and he seemed to hate not knowing things.

Sasuke sighs as looks up at Gaara. "I said I'd rather not speak on the matter, but I suppose it's glaringly obvious that Kakashi seems to do nothing but meddle and read filth all day." He feels his fangs lengthen in agitation at the thought.

Clearly, and when Kakashi was meddling, it had to do with Itachi. Or at least, so Gaara assumed. "And? Did Kakashi have anything important to say about Indra's pet?"

"He said too much." Sasuke seethes and coils like a cobra ready to strike. "As he always does."

"I see." Gaara runs his fingers up Sasuke's back, pressing them into the skin as he begins massaging the tension from Sasuke's shoulders. "Then, Kakashi's mouth aside. This…new information. How do you plan to handle it?"

"I don't know." Sasuke glances at Gaara. "I figured I'd focus on us and being a better vampire."

"I see." So then Sasuke wasn't planning on taking out his anger over the information on Itachi, that was a good sign. "Well, if you would like to be a better vampire, I think that your focus should be on being a better you. Your swordplay is excellent, but perhaps a little training might help you to improve it?"

"Well, it's a little soon." Sasuke flips them. "Though if you're willing to hand over the reins, I'd love to try sheathing the pleasurable kind of sword inside you for a change."

Gaara rolls his eyes and raises his hand to deliver a swift smack to Sasuke's bottom. "I did mean actual swordplay." Honestly, he was creating a little monster. "And I would also love to see your magic at work. It's a rare being who retains magical prowess upon becoming a vampire.

He lets out a quiet yelp at the slap. "Oh." He frowns. "Well, not as much fun, but we could do that." Most of the bastards at court had decades, if not centuries of practice on him. It wouldn't hurt to close the gap, however slightly. "As for magic, we'd have to find a private area for that. It'd attract attention."

Well, at least he was not opposed to such a thing, yet. Gaara smiles warmly. "Then I should inform Kisame. I'm sure his lover would enjoy some exercize as well. The last time you sparred, you were quite magnificent."

"..." Gaara had to be kidding him. "That's not the least bit amusing."

"Amusing, perhaps not, but intriguing and exciting, certainly." Gaara leans up to press a kiss to Sasuke's lips. "I have never seen you shine so brightly or so passionately as you did when fighting Itachi. Save, of course, for last night." But that was a different sort of shining altogether.

Had Gaara taken complete leave of his senses after their lovemaking? "You can't be serious." He simply couldn't be.

Gaara sighs and shakes his head. "I also believe that it would be a much healthier way of showing affection to one another. As you are rather determined to play Indra's games, it might be the wiser course of action to at least return to civil terms with your brother. Indra will turn him eventually, and believe me…eternity is a very long time to be at odds with someone…" Particularly someone close to one's heart.

"Affection?" Yes, Gaara had lost his mind. "I don't know what I feel towards him anymore. Most of my life has been based on lies, but I know I don't feel affection towards him. At best PITY."

"Then learn civility." If Sasuke could not be made to reconcile just yet with Itachi, then Gaara would try a different tactic. "He is a man and a member of Indra's court, soon to be a vampire. He will make for a useful ally so long as you do not alienate him. Even those who dislike one another can come to civil terms, and I believe that you are extremely intelligent, and therefore capable of such a thing."

"Did Kakashi ambush you?" Sasuke growls, biting back a snarl. "Is that why you're doing this?"

This time, as Gaara sighs, he flips Sasuke over and presses his lover's front into the bed, tangling them together in the sheets. "I have not spoken to Kakashi as of late." He leans down almost close enough to nip at Sasuke's ear. "I say all of this with concern for your future well-being. This is a difficult enough place to be without allies, and worse still if you insist on having unnecessary enemies."

He didn't understand it. "Gaara, get off of me." Last night everything had been perfect and now, Sasuke couldn't help, but feel betrayed. The red head knew how Sasuke felt about Itachi as much as anyone could and yet, here he was asking him to 'play nicely' with him. "Now." Somewhere in the back of his mind, Sasuke knew that his lover was just trying to be logical. Sasuke couldn't kill Itachi and didn't know, if he even wanted to anymore. They were both going to be living in the castle. Sooner or later they would interact and was that small shred of reason that keeps him from completely lashing out at the vampire he loved.

Finally, Gaara slowly releases Sasuke from the pin. "…Will continuing to hate, despise, dislike, or even pity Itachi make you happy, Sasuke?" He didn't think so. In fact, he knew that it wouldn't. "It's not as if he poses a threat to you, and I think that you know that…"

"I was VERY happy until about five minutes ago." Sasuke gets up as he eyes Gaara warily. "He's a threat to me because he's Indra's favorite, if nothing else. There's always Kisame to consider and that's before Itachi becomes a vampire. I haven't been a vampire long." He couldn't imagine that Itachi would take long to get used to being a vampire. "The head start I had on him is almost meaningless in the grand scheme of things. That's before I consider what he knows about this court. He knows every nook and cranny. He knows the power players." Everything. As always.

"And you believe that he would keep this information from you?" Somehow, Gaara doubted that after what Kisame had said before. "You believe that he would use his position as Indra's favorite to harm you?"

"I don't know what I believe about him anymore." Sasuke frowns at the thought. "He was once my beloved older brother, then he was a monster, and now he's pitiful martyr? Who knows what he'll be in a year's time?" Sasuke certainly didn't. He didn't even know about Gaara at the moment. "You brought me here. You didn't have to." Every fiber of his being rebels at the idea, but Sasuke knew the truth. Gaara would never let this matter drop. "If you insist, I'll fight him in one match. I'll be civil towards him in public because I have to. I won't attack Indra's favorite, but not of my own violation." Because he had to.

"Good." At least Sasuke was conceding something. And they had all of the time in the world to fix this. Or they would, soon enough. Gaara caresses Sasuke's cheek and presses a kiss to his forehead. "And that last one is rather important, because according to your brother's lover…if you went after Itachi with the intent to kill…Itachi would allow you to do it."

"How well does Kisame actually know Itachi?" How well did anyone? "Their relationship is new and I've known him my entire life and don't know the man at all. So what hope does the shark have of understanding what goes on in that head of his?" Sasuke stiffens a bit at the affectionate gesture, but doesn't protest it. "You might as well organize the match, once you're dressed."

"Perhaps later." Gaara lays backs down and beckons Sasuke to join him. "First, I believe that a little more sleep is in order before we go searching out our breakfast."

He shakes his head. "You can go back to bed." Sasuke rises as he reaches for his clothes. "I'll go and get breakfast." The last thing he wanted to do was sleep now.

"Very well." Gaara would offer to go with him, but it seemed that Sasuke needed a little time alone to put his thoughts in order. He had needed it the last time they spoke like this, and would likely continue to require time to himself to think things over before returning to Gaara's arms. He understood this well. But Sasuke had listened, Sasuke had thought about things, and Sasuke had agreed to 'play nicely'. Therefore, Gaara considered this to be a victory. "Take whatever time you need."

"Just come and get me when you wish to get this facade over with." Sasuke storms off. Leave it to Itachi to unintentionally transform a wonderful night into hellish morning.


	14. Chapter 14

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 14

It had come as no small surprise that Sasuke had agreed to spar with him again, especially when Itachi had no part in setting any of it up. It seemed that a certain demon and vampire had gone behind their backs to arrange this little bout of…brotherly bonding?

He stares at Kisame with a mixture of wariness and disapproval. "I take it that you have been conspiring with Gaara behind my back?" It was the only explanation for why they were headed for his favorite training yard to meet Sasuke and Gaara.

"Conspiring has such a negative connotation." Kisame shrugs, figuring it was best to be honest with his lover. "We were merely discussing how best to make the two of you reconcile and this is what he came up with."

Itachi could certainly see the merit in such an approach, but he did worry for how it might affect Sasuke. "And Sasuke agreed to this proposal, I take it?"

Kisame nods at him. He knew that Itachi wanted a reconciliation, but the human wouldn't force the issue. Which mean things would never get resolved because Sasuke didn't strike him as the forgiving type. "Yeah." He embraces Itachi, trying to comfort him in the best way he knew how. "I'm not sure how willingly, but he agreed."

And in there lay the problem. But Itachi would humor his lover at the very least. "Very well, I will spar with Sasuke." After all, what was the worst that could happen with Gaara and Kisame watching them?

He steps out through the archway and into his private courtyard, already catching sight of the one he never expected to actually agree to fight him again. Sasuke.

Sasuke was approaching him slowly. His eyes were completely fixed on Itachi as if he thought him to be some sort of dangerous predator.

Funny, since it was actually the other way around. But Itachi wouldn't quibble if his little brother had agreed to this. "Sasuke." He inclines his head slightly. "It is good to see you."

"State your terms." He didn't know how to react to that. Was Itachi mocking him or sincere? "Since you're human it wouldn't be fair for me to lay the ground rules of the match." Maybe it didn't matter. Gaara was unfortunately right, Sasuke would be seeing Itachi at court and there was no getting around the fact his brother was Indra's favorite. So coexistence was somewhat mandatory.

Itachi quiets at Sasuke's tone, the faint smile falling from his face. "…The same as the last time. A contest of skill with the sword, no magic, save for what allows me to keep up with you, and the first to draw blood is the victor." He draws his sword from its sheath, readying himself. "Are those acceptable?"

Guilt prickles at the back of Sasuke's mind as Itachi's smile falls away. "That's fair." Why did Gaara have to put him up to this? He had no idea how to react to Itachi anymore. "I'll allow you the first move." Anger, guilt, bitterness, confusion, and even fondness from when he was a child were all at war within him.

"How generous." A hint of a smirk curls Itachi's lips as he raises his sword. "There is no need to be so courteous on my account. If you would like to move first, do not feel restricted to ensuring my comfort."

"Very well." If that's how Itachi wanted it, Sasuke didn't have a problem giving him exactly what he wanted. So he charges at his brother with his sword raised.

Itachi's blade meets Sasuke's at an angle, sending the offending blade flying up past his head, clearing less than an inch between the metal and and the silky black strands. "You're very quick on your feet, even for a vampire." Battling five ordinary vampires was one thing, but it seemed that if he were to take on five of Sasuke without magic, he would be hopelessly overwhelmed.

"So are you." He frowns as he flips back to retrieve his sword. "It won't win you this match though."

Well, Itachi wasn't a vampire just yet, but he would take a compliment, even when returned. "Who taught you? Was it Shisui?" Itachi couldn't see his father teaching Sasuke to use a sword. The man, from what Itachi remembered, was aloof at the best of times.

"Does it matter who taught me?" He'd expect a frontal assault, Sasuke thinks to himself. So he darts towards the side and slams his foot into Itachi's side while getting behind him quickly. "I had many teachers." The less Itachi knew about how Sasuke had learned, the better. He needed to resist the impulse to boast. Knowledge was power and Itachi knew that.

That was a little concerning, but Itachi would investigate that later. "I see." Turning Sasuke's foot aside with his free hand, Itachi notes with some amusement that this was the same tactic that Sasuke had used on him during their first bout. He turns in the opposite direction, slashing his sword towards Sasuke's exposed stomach.

Sasuke had expected that counter and had already begin to roll. His boot ends up kicking at the sword as he rolls away before making a slashing motion at Itachi. If he was lucky, it would graze the skin. Though he knew that was at best a fifty-fifty proposition.

Itachi leans away from the cut, letting the tip of Sasuke's sword glance off the pommel of his own. He parries the blow effectively, swinging it out to the side as he draws his own sword toweards the middle of his body. He assumes a stance for fencing and lunges at Sasuke's chest when his brother rolls back onto his feet.

That was a close one. Sasuke barely manages to dodge. "A quick recovery, especially for a human." Sasuke's eyes bleed red as he bares his fangs and charges at Itachi straight on. He'd just have to overwhelm him with force.

"Thank you." Bending at the waist, Itachi takes the charge head-on and catches Sasuke by the arm, driving an elbow hard into Sasuke's ribs. He responds to the forceful charge by diverting Sasuke's momentum and rolling his brother over his shoulder and onto the ground. "But I do hope that you will not underestimate me merely because I am human." Anyone else could, but not Sasuke. Never Sasuke. He moves forward fluidly, following Sasuke and swinging his sword down towards Sasuke's left shoulder.

Sasuke grunts in pain. Magic was both the most wonderful and horrible thing on earth sometimes. "I'd never underestimate you." He had been once his hero and the demon of his nightmares and now, whatever else Itachi was he was still a formidable fighter. Which was why Sasuke wasn't going to lose this match. "Perhaps that will comfort you when you lose." Sasuke scarcely had time to evade the sword. That hit would have drawn blood. Not much, but enough. Itachi was still taking it easy on him and that thought was infuriating.

Sideways hadn't worked and neither had a full frontal assault. Sasuke smirks as he decides to take another tactic. He jumps into the air with his sword and tries to dive at Itachi with the blade swinging in his hand. A slash across the cheek would get the point across, surely.

Itachi's eyes glow red, and he moves as if everything was in slow motion. His sword rises up the tip running along the length of Sasuke's blade and creating a shower of sparks. He steps inside Sasuke's guard and runs the blade of the sword along Sasuke's arm, slicing through the dark sleeve and staining it and the milky pale skin with blooms of crimson.

He grabs hold of Sasuke's other arm, using Sasuke's own momentum to drive him to the ground and roll him over. The tip of his sword points downward at Sasuke's throat as Itachi kneels over him. One sword clatters across the courtyard's paving stones.

"Damn it!" His world was nothing, but shades of red at the moment. Both his actual vision and the grotesque gory hue that was now spreading along his arm. "Why?" Even as a human, Itachi had found another way to best him.

True it was nothing in the grand scheme of things. The cut was merely at a location that would bleed more heavily than it should have judging by the relatively shallow nature of the injury and his vampire healing would ensure it was closed in a matter of minutes. It wasn't the physical wound that was the issue. It was his pride.

"It seems that you've won." He didn't have any fear that Itachi would actually behead him. "By the rules you stipulated, the match is over." Indra had already expressed favor in him and whether or not it was sincere, Itachi at least put on a good show now when it came to caring about him.

"Yes…" Itachi had won. But he had learned several things over the course of this match. Sasuke's movements reminded him of his own at times, even though Sasuke had claimed that he had many teachers. It seemed that, no matter what, Sasuke had never forgotten Itachi. Particularly the parts where he used to sneak into the training room to watch Itachi practice,

He removes his blade from Sasuke's throat and gives his little brother a soft smile. "You've learned how to fight very well. I'm proud…" He straightens up and sheathes his sword, then holds out his hand to Sasuke.

Some almost forgotten corner of his mind, reveled in the praise. Mostly though, Sasuke finds himself frowning as he takes Itachi's hand. "Not well enough." He didn't know how to feel about much of anything other than disappointment with himself. "I imagine you have other things to do before the day is done besides this match though." He had lost as a vampire. Granted the rules were designed in a way to level the playing field, but it still stung.

A lot. It would have stung even more so if Itachi had held back though. Sasuke sighs at that thought as he tries to will himself to mask his emotions. He was a vampire at court now. Wearing his emotions on his sleeve was a habit that he would need to break, if he was really going to do well here.

Speaking of which, that was why he needed to calm himself. Gaara was right. There was no getting around the fact that Itachi was now part of his life again. For better or worse, Indra would be monitoring them both closely from now on.

Itachi pulls Sasuke to his feet and allows his eyes to rake over the length of Sasuke's arm. He watches carefully as the cut begins closing up, reassured, for once, that his brother was a vampire. Then, he chuckles tiredly. "You seem to think that I have duties here." He was an ornament, sure, but in terms of duties, there was really nothing assigned to him, nothing for him to do. "If…you would ever like to train together…my door is open to you." He looks Sasuke in the eyes, his expression soft.

"You do not?" Did Indra truly leave Itachi to his own devices and let him do whatever pleased him? "Well, I'm sure your shark would appreciate it if you were to attend to your recreational pursuits with him." He starts towards Gaara. "I'll keep that in mind."

He didn't know how to react to any of this. Neither to losing, nor that expression in Itachi's eyes. Sasuke didn't even know how to react to Gaara anymore, but that would undoubtedly be easier than navigating the stormy sea of emotions Itachi had just evoked in him.

"Yes…I'm sure he would." Itachi's fingers clench around nothing but air as Sasuke's arm slips from his grip. He wasn't sure if this was a good sign or bad, but Sasuke had fought with him, he had been civil. It was…something, wasn't it? "Thank you for the spar." He bows to Sasuke respectfully.

Sasuke hesitates for a few seconds, but returns the bow. "You're welcome." The action feeling foreign to him in regards to his brother, but knowing it was important to keep up appearances. That and he was no longer certain whether he wanted a genuine reconciliation or not. A short while ago, the thought would have been laughable, but nothing made sense any longer.

The gesture made Itachi's heart soar, though he wouldn't show it. Slowly, he would go slowly. And if Sasuke did want to reconcile at all…he would approach it with open arms. Even if Sasuke didn't…Itachi would keep his door open nonetheless.

Sasuke begins walking off, half hoping Gaara would follow him and half hoping the red head wouldn't. The encounter had made him feel off balanced to say the least.

* * *

It seemed that the brothers were at it again, and Kakashi would be lying if he said that he wasn't concerned. True, this bout had not ended in quite as much blood loss as the last, but it had still been…tense.

"My Lord." Kakashi kneels before Indra, observing an instant of customary formality. "You summoned me?" It wasn't often that Indra called for him. Usually, he was the one walking in on his lord, occasionally announced but more often not.

Indra nods as he takes in Kakashi's appearance with cold, calculating eyes. "You're anxious." All part of an elaborate ruse that any vampire his age would employ, if they were wise. "Tell me what troubles you." He was not nearly as aloof as he wanted his court to believe he was.

Kakashi hesitates a moment, but decides to air on the side of caution. "Itachi and Sasuke." What wasn't troubling about the brothers? "The two of them have had another bout, but tensions continue to run high between the two of them."

"It has been a decade since they last saw each other." The elder vampire rolls his shoulders with grace as if to demonstrate it was only to be expected. "I would be quite surprised if they were carrying on as if that were not the case. Do you believe either of their physical safety is truly in danger? They conducted themselves well enough in my presence."

"Physical safety, unlikely. It would seem that Kisame and Lord Gaara are watching over the two of them carefully." But their physical safety was not, at this moment, Kakashi's primary concern. "But I do have doubts about the state of Itachi's emotional health. Sasuke's reception of Itachi's affection is lukewarm at best, and their lovers each seem to be attempting to have the two reconcile. But Sasuke seems…unsure as to how to approach the situation with Itachi after learning a small portion of how his brother has lived in the last ten years."

Indra liked to consider himself an intelligent vampire and as such, he has no difficulty deciphering Kakashi's hidden meaning. Sasuke knew about Itachi's history at court because the silver haired vampire had told him.

"I wish you hadn't meddled." He shakes his head and sighs. "Though I can not fault you for it. I know you care for Itachi a great deal, but I'm not certain if your actions helped or hindered in a reconciliation." That and there was the matter of their lovers. "Ten years is a long time for humans, but it is nothing to our kind. Perhaps all they need is time."

Time, perhaps…but Kakashi also knew that they needed exposure to each other, and not simply time for Sasuke to ignore Itachi. Nothing would be done if no one did anything. A ball did not simply begin rolling on its own. And a sword did not swing of its own accord. They had to be made to move, and that is what Kakashi had hoped to accomplish with his meddling. "When he is hurting, Itachi will be the first to bury his emotions where none can reach them."

He couldn't argue that point. "I see and what would you have done about this situation?" That was true, but Sasuke likely wouldn't respond well to Itachi's presence being forced upon him either.

"Sasuke needs…incentives to seek Itachi out." Though Kakashi certainly couldn't suggest anything to Sasuke himself, he'd already pushed the boy enough. Sasuke wouldn't seek out his advice for some time. "He is new to life at court and does not understand it the way that Itachi does. Itachi does not act because he has no power. But when he does gain the power he needs to play the game, then it would be wiser to…challenge them and push them into allying themselves with one another to rise above those challenges." After all, nothing drove young men like being challenged.

"This could cause an even greater rift, if even one thing doesn't go according to plan." He watches Kakashi as though the man had gone half mad. "You are aware of that, correct?"

Yes, Kakashi knew that it was a risk, but if things remained as they were, neither brother would be able to move forward. "Sasuke is wavering. If he is left this way, he will grow distant again. Some caution is needed, yes. If I interfere any more, I may drive Sasuke away. But…" Kakashi looks Indra directly in the eye. "There are other forces in this castle more than capable of acting as pieces in this game. Don't you agree?"

He wasn't nearly as subtle as he would like to believe. "You wish for me to do your dirty work for you." Indra wasn't entirely certain he liked that idea. "I suppose that they're less likely to try to slaughter me for such a thing."

Kakashi snorts with amusement. "I wouldn't worry about two newborns trying to slaughter you. You are not one of the greatest vampire lords to ever live because you regularly fall in battle to a couple of children."

"Oh they'd never manage it in their current state without a lot of dumb luck." He chuckles and shakes his head. "Though they do outnumber me, possess magic, and share my bloodline. I wouldn't underestimate what they'll be capable of in a couple centuries."

"That's assuming they kissed and made up." Which was precisely what Kakashi was trying to arrange. Though perhaps with less kissing. "Besides, what better way to test your heirs than to throw them little challenges now and then. It might also help to build their reputations at court. I'm certain that you're aware that Itachi's is not…enviable." Yes, he was known to be powerful and talented as a mage and a warrior, but his social standing was…less than desirable.

"Kakashi, you may play the game well enough, but it will be a cold day in hell before you can manipulate me into doing something without my knowingly indulging you." He snorts, not certain whether to be irritated or amused. "I shall look into the matter. I would prefer them to get along. It makes them a more valuable set of pawns, if they work in unity."

The corners of Kakashi's lips turn up. "Then I am glad that you indulge me, Lord Indra." It made things so much easier when he wasn't the only one moving pieces about on the board.

The boy was getting cocky. "Yes, you're very fortunate." Though that was a matter for another day. He meant well, after all.

* * *

Gaara had decided to be patient and delay returning to his chambers. Sasuke had seemed more than a little agitated, and it would do no good to impose his presence on Sasuke too quickly. He would allow his lover a chance to cool down first.

Which is why he had gone first to the kitchens to retrieve some food. Not that they required it, but it was nice to have nonetheless. And Sasuke was still fairly newly turned. He would likely still appreciate such a gesture.

The older vampire toes the door to his chambers opening, hearing only very soft sounds from within. "Sasuke?" Gaara steps inside, looking about until he discovers his lover laying on the bed, curled up amongst the blankets.

Sasuke looks up and sees Gaara. He bites back a sight at the sight of the red wanted to say he wasn't ready for this, but he was a vampire. He needed to act like it. "Yes?" That didn't mean that he had to like it though.

Gaara smiles softly. "I brought you tomatoes." He holds up a plate of seasoned, spicy tomato pieces. "I thought that you might like some after that intense spar."

"You're trying to bribe me with tomatoes." Spicy ones, apparently. "That's cheating to bribe me with my favorite food."

Smirking smugly, Gaara seats himself on the bed next to Sasuke and puts the bowl in front of his lover. "I prefer to think of it as an effective persuasion tactic."

"Bribery, you mean." He sighs as he takes a tomato. There was no point in wasting good food.

As Sasuke begins digging into the tomatoes, Gaara cautiously runs his fingers along Sasuke's back, massaging the muscles along his spine. "If you insist on calling it bribery, I will live with it. Is it working?"

He takes a quick bite and swallows it. "Yes and no." It did give him something to focus on, but Sasuke wasn't even sure about his relationship with Gaara anymore. Everything had been so perfect beforehand. Then there was that match. "I don't want to talk about any of it, but I'm not foolish enough to believe that I'm going to avoid the issue indefinitely."

"I see." Gaara could feel the tension deep in Sasuke's muscles. "Are you still angry with me?" Gaara had done what needed to be done, but Sasuke clearly still felt hurt over how he'd chosen to do it.

"Anger isn't the word I would use to describe it." That was something Sasuke was familiar with and he knew how to handle. "Part of me wishes that I had never come here." A large part. "The other part scolds myself for wanting to live in ignorance and then, there is you."

"But you are…evaluating and considering the situation, aren't you?" Gaara presses a little deeper, trying to soothe some of the tension clouding Sasuke's thoughts. "Ignorance may be bliss, but is that truly something that you would prefer? Not to know the truth?"

He'd done little else, but consider the situation. "I don't know anything anymore." Well, other than the basics. Like he liked tomatoes. "Though I suppose it doesn't matter. What's done is done. I know the truth or at least part of it." That and he hated Kakashi. He definitely hated Kakashi. "I'm considering the situation and I'll find a way to endure it." It was as if he could turn back time, so wondering about whether or not he wanted to know all this was pointless.

"Well, then how about this." Gaara presses a gentle kiss to the back of Sasuke's neck, but no more. "Do you carry less hatred inside of you now than you did when you first arrived?"

"No." Sasuke feels himself shiver slightly from the kiss, but it was a far cry from the fire such a gesture normally evokes within him. "If anything, I care more hatred. It's just a matter of sorting out who bears the lion's share of it. I never hated myself before coming here, but I also hate Kakashi. I hate the situation." It wasn't Gaara's fault. He was still as skillful as ever, it was just that he was simply too far gone in trying to find answers to feel much in the way of physical desire. "I hate him for lying to me. For the way he treats everything I value. I hate that he makes me pity him to some degree. I hate that I lost to him."

Well, two steps forward, one step back. And though Gaara hadn't wanted to cause Sasuke such emotional turmoil, he knew that it was necessary in order to eventually find peace. First, he needed to purge Sasuke of all that hatred. "If you hate that you lost to your brother, then grow stronger. If you hate the situation, then change it. There are some things that cannot be changed, and I know firsthand how hard it can be to forgive. But Sasuke…hatred is a poison, and it will destroy you if you allow it to. Just like it did to me."

"If it was a real fight, I would win because I'm a vampire and he is not." Sasuke feels his fangs lengthen at the implication. "That won't be the case for long and I've always planned on growing stronger." That wasn't going to change no matter what Itachi was to him. "I can't change the past, Gaara." That was how the situation had gotten to this point. "Only deal with the present and as for the last part of your advice, I'm aware of that." He just wasn't sure if it was too late.

"Sasuke…" Gaara sighs and runs his fingers through Sasuke's silky locks. "I will not push you to fight him again. But know that I truly do want the best for you. You may resent me for a while, but we have an eternity to mend these things. Everything. And for you, I would wait centuries…" Perhaps longer.

"You won't push for it, but you want me to." Sasuke wasn't oblivious. He had been foolish, but he wasn't blind. "It's hard for me to reconcile how everything could be glorious last night and turn into this in the span of less than a day." Gaara loved him. Sasuke wanted to believe that. "You're right that I'll have to deal with his existence as a member of Indra's court." That was perhaps the thing that burns most about the red head's actions. They were based in logic.

"I had a plan to do that." He was going to treat Itachi civilly in public and just focus on becoming a better vampire. "Now it feels as though I don't even have that and it bothers me, that you're so adamant about him." An old and irrational fear perhaps, but Sasuke supposed that it was too ingrained in him. Itachi was the eldest. He was always first and he was the backup. That wasn't the case here, it couldn't be and yet, he was still jealous of the way Gaara defended Itachi so fiercely.

"I am adamant because I have been where you are, and I was alone for well over a century. Alone and leaving a trail of bodies in my wake." Gaara's past was haunted by his own ghosts, his own demons. "Perhaps it is my own paranoia acting up, but I would rather not see you fall into the same darkness that I barely pulled myself out of. I pushed my siblings away and regretted it, and I still do regret it. Your situation may be different, but emotions are largely the same, no matter who experiences them. I would rather you suffer now, for a short time while you have the chance to grow, than to suffer for countless decades, like I did. It is my hope, that the two of you can end each other's suffering, as you are each the root cause of the other's."

A flash of guilt flickers across his face as he leans in and brushes his lips against Gaara's. "I am sorry that you suffered so and you're right . The emotions are largely the same." Maybe the red head didn't view Sasuke as a cheap imitation of Itachi, after all. "For your sake, I'll try with him..." He could at least make the appearances of such a thing, if it would make Gaara happy. "Though he's never going to end my suffering." That much had been made glaringly obvious by everything that had come to light at the castle. "If anyone has even a prayer of such a thing, that's you. Not him."

Gaara laughs softly and presses a sweet kiss to Sasuke's lips. "Then I will do my utmost to kiss the pain away." It was the least he could do for his lover who was trying to make this work. "And perhaps I will also give you a treat when you are feeling better."

He returns the kiss and then tilts his head at Gaara's words. "I know you will and a treat?" That didn't make much sense to him. "What do you mean?" Surely this time, he couldn't be referring to tomatoes.

A dark chuckle escapes from Gaara's lips. "Well…now that your innocence is gone, I am not opposed to a more equal relationship between the sheets." He leans in and nips at Sasuke's ear. "I'm sure that you would enjoy asserting some…control over the situation."

"Really?" Sasuke blinks as though not sure what he had just heard. "You'd consent to such a thing?" Given the wide gap in their age, it was only natural to assume Gaara would take the reins when it came to such things.

"For you, My Love, yes…" Gaara caresses Sasuke's cheek gently and kisses softly down the pale throat. "You need not be afraid to take what you want. And should you feel the desire to assert control over your life, feel free to do so with me whenever you desire your…reassurance."

Sasuke sighs softly in pleasure at the gesture. "You're not my punching bag." Feeling at least some of his tension drain away. "I wouldn't intentionally be cruel with you because of him, but I'll remember your offer."

"You need not be cruel, I merely extend to you the option of not being entirely overwhelmed by the forces that surround you. Besides…" He nips at Sasuke's ear and draws a few drops of blood. "Who said that I am so easily broken?"

"It's not supposed to be about that." Sasuke lets out a quiet groan. "My desiring you isn't correlated to this." He'd rather have Gaara as far removed from this hellish situation he had found himself in as possible. "I don't want to use you like that and I know you're not easily broken, but I don't want us marred by him. If I take you, I want it to be because you wanted me to. Not because you were trying to make me feel better."

That was sweet, truly it was. But Gaara would see to it that Sasuke was corrupted soon enough. Corrupted in all of the most carnal ways possible. "Very well, then I will not insist. But the offer remains open. After all, I would not wish for you to grow rusty before even having the chance to shine." He smirks and rolls Sasuke over on the bed, the empty bowl clattering to the floor.

"Only you, Gaara." Sasuke shakes his head as he looks up at Gaara and kisses him. "Only you."


	15. Chapter 15

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 15

Itachi watches the front gates as yet another carriage leaves with vampire nobles inside of it. Vampires liked to linger, but even they could not come up with sufficient reason to stay too long past their welcome. And Indra had been rather insistent on regaining some privacy after the celebrations concluded.

The human pretended not to know why his guardian wanted that privacy.

His days as a human were coming to an end, and much sooner than he had originally expected. Itachi would make the most of his final hours, except that he didn't know what a human was supposed to do in the hours before their death. Lay there and wait for it to come?

He lays back against the roof and looks up into the sky, the sun setting and casting shades of pink and purple and gold across the heavens. How long would it be before he could look at a sunset again without being blinded by it? How long would it be before he no longer noticed that food no longer tasted quite so appealing? How long would it be before the taste of blood was as natural as the taste of wine. Would he miss being human? Would he be angry?

After all, once you turn, there is no going back. As the vampire approaching him knew well enough. The scent of him made Itachi's nose twitch.

If it weren't for the slight shift in the wind, Sasuke's presence likely wouldn't have been noticed at all. When he had seen Itachi on the roof, he knew exactly what was going on. "Are you mourning the impending loss of your humanity?" He shouldn't have approached him, but there was just something incredibly annoying about watching the man he had once looked up to above all overs...awaiting his fate like a lamb to the slaughter.

Itachi's gaze flicks across the roof and towards his younger brother, widening ever so slightly in surprise. He hadn't thought that Sasuke would come to seek him out on his own initiative. Not yet, anyway. "Did you?"

"I didn't mourn it." It seemed that they were nothing alike, except to some degree their physical appearance. "I see no point in lying about." The thought was a hurtful one, but Sasuke couldn't deny its accuracy. "It doesn't change what I am. If you're truly curious, I couldn't wait wait to be rid of it."

"Hn." That was…not the answer Itachi wanted to hear, but it was certainly not unexpected. "I drove you to throw away your humanity." A mistake that he would regret until the darkness took him.

"You overestimate the impact of my environment and underestimate my nature." It was true, that Itachi's 'betrayal' had made Sasuke actively seek out to become a vampire. That wasn't his entire motivation though. "Once upon a time, I was happy with our family. That didn't mean I ever liked being the prey."

"I see." Then perhaps Sasuke would be alright. Perhaps he would survive and thrive in the vampire court. Itachi didn't know if he would be so lucky. "Did you ever regret the decision to become a vampire?"

"No." It had never occurred to him. Well, other than once. "Well, other than just before I was turned perhaps. Everyone has second thoughts then." The primal desire to survive had been powerful, even though Sasuke had known Temari would revive him.

"Of course." Itachi understood the primal desire to survive. He also understood what it was like for despair and loneliness to overwhelm that desire. "Do you…prefer this place to home?"

Sasuke's lips twitch. He knew which home Itachi meant. "I've had two homes in my life." This wasn't home. Not yet anyway. "The one I was born into and the one that I lived in after being turned. To which are you referring?" It was petty, but he wanted to watch Itachi squirm.

Itachi catches his bottom lip between his teeth and bites down hard. "…The one…we once shared." The one he hadn't seen since he was a child. "The one…that I have had neither the privilege, nor the right to call home in a very long time…"

"I know little of this castle. I haven't had a chance to thoroughly acquaint myself with life inside it or its people." Sasuke glances at Itachi, hating that somehow the human had made him feel guilty with that forlorn look. "I know that you have hated it here and for good reason. Kakashi doesn't value anyone's privacy. Just so you know." The mere mention of the silver haired vampire causes him to half snarl. "Any distress I feel in this castle, hasn't been caused by strangers or the living space though. At least, not intentionally."

He was talking too much and he knew that, but it wasn't really any information that Itachi didn't already know. Nothing that Itachi couldn't already use against him. "There was a time when given the choice between being a vampire and our human family, I would have chosen our human family." Things were less clear cut now. "I don't have to choose though. I have good control over my bloodlust and now, I have a second family. I have Gaara and you have the shark." He looks towards the sky as though collecting his thoughts. "I'm not like you. I don't hate the thought of being a vampire."

That was true, Sasuke was not like him. And perhaps that was a good thing. Itachi wouldn't wish this life on anyone. "Perhaps that is because you made a choice." Whereas Itachi had been given an ultimatum. "Vampires can be cruel and entitled creatures, and have little to no respect for humans. And so, humans fear them because most of them are incapable of standing up to an immortal." As a human pet to a vampire lord, Itachi had been caught between a rock and a hard place. "I…do not wish to become that way when Indra turns me. I do not wish to become the sort of vampire I have come to loathe."

"Don't kid yourself." Sasuke couldn't help, but scoff. "Humans can be just as cruel and barbaric. The only difference is vampires currently occupy a higher position on the food chain. No species has a monopoly on goodness or evil. I was turned and it didn't change my personality." He glances at Itachi. "If you aren't like those vampires you loathe now, you're not going to become them because you get fangs."

The corners of Itachi's lips turn up. "And when did you become so wise, foolish little brother?" Sasuke almost sounded…like an adult now. It was rather strange to hear such things coming from his mouth.

"It has been ten years." Sasuke didn't know what to make of Itachi's expression changing into something that if not a smile was flirting with bitter amusement. "I got wise when I had to." He was never going to be that helpless ever again. "That and I suppose Gaara may have played a role in it."

Itachi turns sad, dark eyes on Sasuke, the corners of his lips still turned up slightly. "Then I suppose that, in some ways, the years have been good to you. I am sorry that I missed them."

Years ago, the praise would have made Sasuke's day. "I'm afraid I can't say the same for you." Now, he didn't know how to feel about it. Other than angry at Itachi's melancholy. "I'd rather you go back to being the callous bastard who abandoned me or the brother I idolized than witness you doing this strange dance of melancholy. I still fail to see what is so horrific about being young and strong forever, particularly when you've already found love." He shakes his head. "You won't become like those vampires at court. You don't have that in you." What he did have in him, Sasuke didn't know anymore. He just knew it wasn't that.

"I think…I would prefer the latter." Itachi would rather have Sasuke's love and respect than his hatred and ire. It was simply a difficult thing to do after so many years in this place. But could they do it? Come back to a place of love, instead of one of wary coexistence? "…Sasuke, after I've been turned, would you like to learn to use Amaterasu?"

"You're attempting to bribe me." Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "With the thought of new and powerful magic, but I'd be a fool to turn that offer down." If Itachi wanted to 'buy his affection' by teaching him useful magic, Sasuke would let him. It sounded like the vampire was sincere. Sasuke would just have to be careful. It could all be an act, but he didn't see how. There was no clear benefit...

"Good, then take it with this piece of advice." Itachi smirks ruefully. "It's quite an effective weapon when disposing of snakes. Particularly those who will see in you what they see in me." A young, attractive protegee that they would desire to take to bed. "Some of the vampires at court can be extremely insistent."

"I'm aware of them." Sasuke shrugs. He wasn't particularly worried about them. "If I don't rip their throat out or burn their manhoods away with the Amaterasu, Gaara will likely do even worse to them." He didn't know how the red head would come up with something worse than the Amaterasu, just that Gaara would.

Itachi chuckles softly. "My thoughts exactly, save for a have a rather different lover. He's much…bluer. In fact, it was difficult to convince him not to act when Orochimaru made his clumsy and unpleasant attempt to seduce me."

"You know that I'm not blind, right?" Sasuke rolls his eyes. "I know that you're with the shark, but I can't blame him. Orochimaru is an annoyance and if he made such advances towards my lover, I would have already found a way to kill him and make it look like an accident."

True, Orochimaru was a lot older than him. Probably far stronger, but Sasuke knew that disgusting look in his eyes. All he would need to is pretend to be interested in his advances and get him alone and it would only take a few seconds to slam a stake in his heart as Orochimaru attempted to seduce him.

"I see that the Uchiha blood runs strongly in you." Itachi wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of Sasuke's temper again. "Perhaps the old snake will soon meet with an accident. He does like to poke his nose into any places it does not belong. And there will be two of us rather soon, after all."

Sasuke saw the moderately subtle implication, but doesn't bother to confirm or reject it. "Hopefully. I doubt Lord Indra would mind." Itachi either saw them as partners or wanted Sasuke to think he saw them that way. "The Lord won't outright say it, but every once in awhile he gives Orochimaru a dirty look when he thinks no one is watching."

Itachi would be lying if he said he hadn't noticed that either. "Then perhaps we might work to remove a certain eyesore from Lord Indra's gaze." Itachi's eyes flick down towards the castle gates, where Orochimaru's carriage trundles slowly through the gates. "I can't say that the court will miss him."

"I suppose I'll do it swiftly." He glances at Itachi. "Everyone knows your history with him. You'd be amongst the first suspects if he did die and I'd rather not you get the credit, if somehow they surmise how he actually died." Indra would probably be happy about Orochimaru's death, but what lengths would he got to protect his favorite human from suspicion Sasuke wondered.

Honestly, Itachi wouldn't mind being one of the first suspects in Orochimaru's death. The snake deserved whatever he got. "I could do it. Once I am a vampire, no one will dare touch me for fear of harming Indra's heir." He didn't necessarily like the role being foisted upon him, but it was there nonetheless, and he would bear it and move forward. Yes, he mourned the impending loss of his humanity, but soon he would be able to be with Kisame forever, and in that time, he would be able to watch over Sasuke and protect him, teach him.

"Is he dumb enough to fall for the reversal in your feelings for him so suddenly?" Sasuke found himself skeptical of it. "Besides, you're still human. If his allies realize you killed him, they might be foolish enough to kill you." He didn't really know why he cared. Sasuke would analyze that later.

"I suppose that they could try. Though I wouldn't put it past the snake to make another attempt, regardless of my feelings. After all, that wasn't his first try at charming me into his lair." Itachi had quite determinedly refused any and all offers of his company. "You resemble me enough that he may make an attempt at you next. So either way would suffice. Whichever of us he pursued would serve as the distraction while the other waits in the wings." If Sasuke was going to do this, Itachi was determined not to let him go at it alone.

Could he trust Itachi to have his back in this situation? Well, Sasuke supposed it really didn't matter. "I'll talk to Gaara about it." Killing Orochimaru would be easy either way once he was thinking with the wrong head. "He's done a lot for me and I won't go behind his back." Even if his reaction towards Itachi had cut him. It was hard not to feel insecure when his brother was involved. He had always been the first choice. "I imagine you'll do the same for your shark."

"Of course." There was no sense in trying to keep this from Kisame, his shark would tug the truth from him in the end anyway. "…Your redhead is rather…understanding, isn't he?"

"What do you mean by understanding exactly?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

"He has been civil this entire time. Considering how you were when you first arrived, one would think that your lover would despise me. And yet…" And yet Itachi felt no fear of Gaara, the redhead had given him no reason to feel uncomfortable around him in any way. He seemed even…sympathetic at times. Though it was hard to read it on his usually expressionless face.

He didn't want to discuss this subject. "He knows your Indra's favorite." Sasuke rolls his eyes, trying to force down the irritation this matter always brought to him. "Gaara doesn't want me to kill you because it would displease Lord Indra and that would shorten my life expectancy." Orochimaru was one thing, Sasuke knew how to outsmart him. Indra was another entirely.

Itachi smiles a little bitterly. "In truth, now that you are here, I should be faintly worried about being replaced." After all, he may be the heir, but the spare was always there for a reason.

"I doubt it." Sasuke shrugs at him. "If there is one thing that has been a constant in my life it is that you will always be seen first. Such is the nature of being the eldest."

"Not always." Itachi smiles and raises his fingers to poke his foolish little brother's forehead. "There are at least two who will always see you first." Himself, and a certain smitten redhead.

He scowls at the forehead poking. "Why do you always do that?" Didn't him becoming a vampire negate the forehead thing? "And I guess." Gaara and Temari most likely.

"Foolish little brother…" Itachi retracts his fingers and places his hand in his lap. "I will always put your well-being before my own. And even if others see me first, you will always be one of my priorities."

"What scares me most is that you might actually be sincere in those words." Sasuke sighs and shakes his head. "That for ten years, everything I thought to be true was nothing but a lie." He turns. "I'll make plans for talking with Orochimaru on his next visit. No matter what, we both agree the world is better off without him."

"Yes…" Itachi turns his gaze back out towards the valley, towards their home. "…If you look carefully, on some nights, you can see the lanterns of the family estate from here." Not on all nights, but sometimes…and it made Itachi's heart ache.

"You're going to be turned soon, but you know he'd let you see them if you wanted to after you get your bloodlust under control." Sasuke sighs.

"Yes…but would they want to see me after so long away?" Itachi wouldn't blame them if they didn't. It might very well just be pouring salt in the wound.

Sasuke scoffs and shakes his head. "I realize it's been ten years, but do you remember NOTHING about our parents?" The fact he had to ask that question was almost laughable. "They'll want to see you."

"People change a lot in ten years." But it was heartening to hear Sasuke's valiant defense of their bond, seemingly still unbroken after all this time. Itachi would hold that little bit of hope deep within his heart for now. "But…thank you, Sasuke."

"That's true." Sasuke shrugs. "Though other than you, most people don't completely change."

Itachi had to admit that Sasuke had a point. But it was half a point, really. "Most people aren't abducted from their home in the middle of the night at the age of thirteen to spend the next decade alone in a vampire's castle under constant threat of death." Or worse. Though he left that part unsaid.

"That's true, but doesn't negate the fact they haven't changed that much Itachi." He sighs as he looks at the other man. "I understand you suffered here, but I barely recognize either version of you when you succumb to whatever they did to you." He had a pretty good idea what they attempted thanks to Kakashi though. A disturbingly good idea really.

His lips twitch faintly, but Itachi knew that things were not nearly so simple. "Perhaps…you might see me recover in the days to come. After all, I will soon no longer need to fear them. I have survived this long and passed every test on the way." All he needed now was to be turned and stop playing the meek, submissive human pet. "The celebrations have ended, and I will not be Indra's human pet for very much longer."

"That's true." Sasuke wasn't an idiot though. Melancholy Itachi was still in control and he was doing his best to humor him. "I'll see you after I've spoken to Gaara." Though it was probably best not to call Itachi on it. However tentative it was, there was a small flicker of his brother left inside that attractive man who acted more like a kicked puppy than anything else.

Itachi rises smoothly to his feet, his boots scuffing softly against the tiles of the roof. "I'll accompany you a short ways. I imagine that Kisame will be searching for me again."

"Very well." Sasuke nods as he jumps back inside through the window.

Following Sasuke back through the window, Itachi lands silently inside the carpeted hall, glancing only once at the portrait of himself hanging in the hidden alcove. But he strides past it without comment, choosing to focus on Sasuke instead. "So, I take it that things are progressing between yourself and Lord Gaara?"

There was no point in hiding that. Itachi already knew they were close. "About as well as things are progressing with you and Kisame." Granted, he still felt a bit uncertain due to recent events, but Gaara had even gone so far as to offer Sasuke control of their lovemaking to reassure him. That had to mean something. How often did adult vampires let their recently turned lovers do that?

The knowledge makes Itachi's eyes twinkle with mirth. "I see. Bumpy and awkward, but I take it that it is progressing rather quickly?"

"Most of the time, it's been a seamless progression." He glances at Itachi. "It's only recently we haven't always seen eye to eye on strategy."

"Because of me." Itachi knew that look in Sasuke's eye. It was trying not to be accusing, but…there was still a strong hint of it there. "My apologies. I did not mean for my presence to strain things between you and your lover."

"I know that." How could he have meant it? Even if Itachi had wanted to drive a wedge between him and Gaara, there was no way he could have predicted the red head 'siding' with himself in such a way. "We haven't dissolved our...relationship, if you're concerned about such a thing."

"Good, because it's obvious that he truly loves you." Itachi would have been envious, were it not for the fact that he had a demon of his very own to kiss him every hour of the day and night. "In a place like this, that is a very rare thing. Treasure it."

"I do." That was why he had gotten so upset in the first place. "I have no idea what to make of you." Or much of anything at this rate. "But we will kill Orochimaru."

"Yes, foolish little brother, we will." Itachi smirks at the thought of teaming up with his little brother to take down arguably the most annoying and creepy vampire he had ever had the misfortune to meet. But as they step into the small sitting room near their quarters, they come across Gaara and Kisame deep in quiet conversation. "Though I believe that first, collecting our lovers is in order."

"... If he didn't look like he'd rip Gaara's face off while kissing him, I might be jealous." Sasuke blinks. "They're conspiring with each other entirely too much."

"Actually, Kisame is quite good at not ripping anything off when using his mouth." Something that pleased Itachi greatly. "But I do agree that these two are becoming far too secretive for my liking." He fixes Kisame with a piercing stare. "And what, may I ask, are the two of you conspiring this time?" Because that sparring match had looked rather suspicious…

Sasuke snorts at that and the fact the blue demon almost falls off the couch. "Please don't pretend you weren't conspiring because that's just an insult to everyone's intelligence." It was obvious that's what they had been doing.

Gaara remains perfectly stoic, unfazed by the attention being focused on them by both Uchiha brothers. "Nothing of importance, seeing as the two of you appear to be mending your bridges on your own."

Kisame rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Itachi, maybe we should head back to our chambers." He looks at Gaara and Sasuke. "These two seem like they need some privacy."

"Yes…perhaps that would be a good idea." And Itachi would take the opportunity to punish Kisame later. For now, he finds himself content to stride over and sit on Kisame's lap. "I'm certain that we can find something with which to amuse ourselves."

"Yes, I'm quite certain we can as well." He smirks as he scoops Itachi up and begins carrying him off.

Sasuke couldn't help, but stare at the odd sight before turning his attention to Gaara. "You don't even have the decency to look guilty about it." He could have at least looked apologetic or something at having been caught red handed. Gaara loved him, but the audacity of the vampire in this matter was irritating.

"I don't mind being caught in this instance. After all, the two of you seem to be getting on much better than before." Gaara raises his hand to caress Sasuke's cheek. "And you look less troubled now. That makes me happy."

"I was feeling moderately guilty about planning to take out Orochimaru because it might make you worry." Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Though considering you've been conspiring to manipulate me with a shark, I guess I don't have to feel guilty. As for Itachi, I don't really know what to feel towards him at the moment. He is either sincerely trying to reconcile or putting on a damn good show."

"And while I doubt it's the latter, this plot concerning Orochimaru concerns me." Gaara certainly hadn't heard anything about that. "Why don't you tell me all about it once we return to our chambers with a little bloodwine?"

Sasuke sighs and shakes his head as he starts towards their chambers. "You're lucky that I love you." The red head was far too sneaky sometimes.

"As do I, My Love." Of that, Gaara was absolutely sure.

* * *

Itachi chuckles as Kisame carries him towards his chambers. Though it was essentially their chambers at this point, what with Kisame all but moving in with him. "You are certainly eager, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah." He smiles at Itachi. "Figured it was best to let them sort things out without us there and always eager to get you into my bed."

"You mean get yourself into mine." Itachi rolls his eyes and presses a kiss to Kisame's lips as he wiggles himself from Kisame's grasps and back down to the floor. "Though I suppose that in my bed is the best place for you."

There was a chuckling sound from nearby. "Well, perhaps I should come back tomorrow." It seemed that their relationship was certainly a warm one.

Itachi blinks and turns his head, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of his master. "Lord Indra." He bows politely, though not quite as low as he once did. "What brings you here?"

"I had hoped to have you turned or prepared for such a thing tonight, but I suppose one more day won't hurt things." He smiles.

Well, that certainly had thrown an entire trough of icy water on his growing arousal. Itachi had known that Indra planned to turn him soon, but not quite this soon. "I see. So, it's time, then?"

"If you believe yourself to be ready." He sends Kisame a teasing look. "I wouldn't want to turn every part of your lover blue."

"Save for his tongue, I believe it is too late for that." Itachi smiles faintly, then reaches out to squeeze Kisame's hand. He knew very well that with this announcement, there was no chance that he would be an enjoyable companion tonight. "…Will you wait for me in your chambers?" A turning was a relatively private affair, and Itachi would rather not have an audience there to make him uneasy. Especially not his overprotective lover.

"Of course." He nods at Itachi. "I shall give you two a few moments, if you need them. Come when you're ready."

"Yes…" Itachi takes a deep breath, one of his last. He looks up into dark, focused eyes and squeezes Kisame's hand tightly. "It seems…that we'll have to put off our plans for a little while."

"If you want and it's allowed, I could be in the room with you." He smiles at Itachi. "I don't mind. It might help make it easier for you, assuming Lord Indra is agreeable."

Itachi shakes his head and presses a kiss to Kisame's lips. "No, come for me in the morning." That way, it would be less traumatic for the both of them. If Kisame were there…Itachi was fairly certain that he would have more than just second thoughts. "I…want you to be there when I wake up."

He returns the kiss and sighs. "Alright. Whatever you want." The shark demon cups the other man's angelic face in his hands. "I'll be there. Besides, I doubt Lord Indra would let anything happen to you."

"That's right." He chuckles. "Far too precious of a jewel to lose after all these years. Are you ready, Itachi?"

After letting himself indulge in some closeness with Kisame, Itachi nods. "Yes, I'm ready." He lowers Kisame's hands from his face and turns to face Indra, falling into step behind him.

Indra leads Itachi back into his chambers as Kisame ducks into Itachi's rooms. "I do apologize for interrupting what I am sure would have been an enjoyable tryst." The elder vampire shoots him a knowing smile.

Indra's chambers were not a place that Itachi often wandered into, but it seemed that tonight was the night that he would become rather well acquainted with them. "It's fine." Itachi had no right to complain, after all. "And when this is done, I'm sure that he will rather enjoy the fact that he no longer has to be so…gentle with me." After all, it was much harder to break a vampire than a human.

"I wouldn't doubt that, but his affection for you doesn't seem particularly linked to your species." He smiles at Itachi. "If you prefer I can render you unconscious for the duration of the transformation."

Itachi shakes his head and glides into Indra's chambers. In the end, the transformation would render him unconscious either way. "No, I would prefer to remember my last moments as a human."

"If you're certain." Indra looks at him with concern. "Many humans' survival instincts are triggered and it can be unpleasant."

A soft smile turns up the corners of Itachi's lips. "I don't believe that will be a problem. I know how it works."

"Very well." Indra bites into his arm and allows some of his blood to flow into a goblet. "I would recommend drinking before the change, but it makes little difference."

Grasping the goblet obediently, Itachi nods and brings the metal cup to his lips. He braces himself for the blood and resists the urge to cringe as he tips it, and tastes of salt and iron flow over his tongue.

He chuckles at Itachi's response and shakes his head in amusement. "It will taste much better after you've transformed, I assure you." He gestures towards the bed. "Perhaps sitting or laying down would be best."

Itachi swallows the last of the blood and wipes his lips as he casts his gaze to Indra's bed. Enormous and covered in red silk, if he bled out over it, he doubted anyone would notice. "Of course." He runs his hand along the fabric and takes a seat, slipping off his boots at the edge of the bed. With a flick of his wrist, he pulls his ponytail over his shoulder, baring his neck for his master. Then, he looks up to Indra, the fear that once coursed through his veins at the thought of his turning now dulled to a quiet whisper.

Indra joins him on the bed and pulls Itachi into his lap. "I will make this as quick as possible." Itachi for whatever reason had always seemed a bit skittish at the prospect of becoming a vampire. It was best not to prolong it. "Just remember this means you can spend several lifetimes with your lover instead of one." He gently sinks his teeth into Itachi's neck and begins to drink deeply.

A shudder rolls through Itachi's frame as he holds back a gasp. This was only the second time that he had allowed someone to feed on him, and this time, he was not so distracted from the sensation of the blood being drained drop by drop from his body. But instead of letting his instincts rule him, Itachi lays his head on Indra's shoulder and closes his eyes, letting his mind focus on Kisame, on Sasuke, on his family. He focuses on the people that he was doing this for, and all of his happiest memories of them.

He drinks quickly. The blood tasted exquisite as he always knew it would. So it was no great trial.

Itachi moans softly as a feeling of warmth spreads through him, chased through by a spreading feeling of numbness. His grip weakens, even as he holds onto his Sire for comfort. The faces of his loved ones flash before his dimming mind, and he grasps at them desperately as his body loses its life and strength, succumbing to the loss of blood.

Indra continues drinking until he was sure that Itachi had no more blood in him and sighs as he gently lays the seemingly lifeless man on the bed. "You'll feel much better when you've awakened." Which should be sometime during the next day or perhaps in a few days. It all depended really.

For now, Itachi would sleep. And only morning would bring answers.


	16. Chapter 16

Thicker Than Water

 **celestia193's Author's Note:** The touchy-feely fluffy part of the turning. Both boys get a little loving.

Chapter 16

Gaara smiles and twirls a lock of Sasuke's hair around his finger, watching his sleeping lover closely. It had been a difficult month for Sasuke, but things appeared to be on the up for his young lover. And for that, Gaara could only be grateful. He was certainly pleased with the peaceful expression on Sasuke's face, no longer twisted with hatred or anger or pain. He was healing, and it was a wondrous thing. "So beautiful…"

"So are you." Sasuke sighs as he leans over and kisses Gaara. "You'd be even more so if you stopped plotting." The conspiring with Kisame was getting out of hand, but in the rational part of his mind he knew that Gaara was only trying to help. So he couldn't be angry with him. Maybe mildly annoyed, but then he'd look at him that way and it was difficult to muster even that much.

The redhead kisses back, smiling into the show of affection. "We conspire to make our lovers happy. And first, that means healing the hurts."

He shakes his head."It's difficult to stay angry with you when you say such sweet things." Which was probably why Gaara did it. "I'm still going after Orochimaru though. He'll likely be an annoyance later, if I don't."

"I agree." It wasn't the most pleasant of topics, but Gaara knew better than to argue here. "He has harassed your brother long enough, and you are no doubt next on his list, if it turns out that he cannot have Itachi."

"I'm not doing it for him." Sasuke shakes his head. "I'm doing it because as you said, he probably won't make much of a distinction between me and him. Better I do it quickly than have you do it. I'm not that...sadistic."

"That's…disappointing." Gaara would have looked forward to being the one to gut Orochimaru like a fish. "Though you do not believe it will be nearly that easy, do you?"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at Gaara. "Considering what a deviant he is, yes." It wouldn't take much. Just to bat his eyes at Orochimaru and the idiot would probably think he was genuinely interested. When he was suitably distracted, Sasuke would just stake him.

"I hope that you're correct." Though Gaara doubted it would be that easy. Orochimaru was older than Sasuke, older than Gaara, maybe even older than him and Kisame combined. The elders were not to be underestimated. But perhaps that was a thought for another day. "So, what would you like to do today? Plot? Explore? Or remain in bed?"

"Well, if you're fortunate enough to get entirely back into my good graces, we could do all three." Sasuke nudges him onto his back. "We can remain in bed as we plot how to explore each other."

Gaara raises an eyebrow, but lays back nonetheless, his eyes watching Sasuke curiously as his hand trails up a pale thigh. "And what would getting back into your good graces entail?"

"I don't know." He smirks at the red head with no small amount of amusement. "You're rather clever at conspiring, I'm sure you'll think of something."

Smirking right back, Gaara reaches his arms around Sasuke and lifts his lover over him, tangling up the bedsheets quite nicely. "I'm sure that I will." He takes one of Sasuke's hands and kisses the pale, slender fingers delicately.

Sasuke smiles at that. "Yes, I'm sure you won't disappoint me." He kisses Gaara.

Gaara presses into the kiss as he cups Sasuke's gorgeous backside. "Then staying in bed it is." He certainly wouldn't complain about being given the opportunity to ravish his lover. Or the other way around, if it would convince Sasuke of his sincerity. "Do you have any objections?"

"None currently." He leans into Gaara and rests his head on his shoulder. "Though I'm going to be very displeased if you continue to sneak off with Kisame all the time. Your favorite color isn't blue is it...?"

"Not at all. Though I do confess myself to be rather fond of the color red." And not because it was the color of blood or the color of his hair. No Gaara had…a better reason than that. "Such as the color of your eyes when you become excited."

"Good to know." Sasuke smiles. "I have to confess, I'm something of a jealous vampire."

Gaara smirks. "Be glad that I am not." Such a thing would likely end very badly. "But I am quite possessive. So I would not entertain the notion of admiring others in front of me. I would have to teach you quite firmly not to do such a thing." He bites down on Sasuke's ear and slides Sasuke firmly into his lap. "Do we agree on these terms?"

The raven haired vampire scoffs at the mere suggestion. "Of course." He wasn't going to be admiring anyone besides Gaara anyway. "You can put your mind at ease about that much. I promise you."

Satisfied, the elder vampire rolls them over and presses Sasuke down into the silk sheets. "Then let us being these…explorations." Such a thing would most definitely prove to be quite fun. He just knew it.

* * *

It had been the longest night of his existence, but never had Kisame been more grateful to greet the dawn. Surely, by now Itachi had been turned. Whether he would be awake or not was another matter, but Kisame speeds towards Indra's chambers.

As the giant blue demon approaches, the doors to the vampire lord's chambers open as if by magic, as though expecting the arrival of the demon who sought out his lover in undeath.

Kisame doesn't question it as he darts inside. "Is he wake, Lord Indra?" It was hard to remember to address the vampire by his title in a moment like this, but he mentally pats himself on the back for remembering to do so.

The ancient vampire shakes his head and motions toward the bed, where Itachi lays as still and pale as death itself. "He has stirred twice throughout the night, but has not yet awoken." Indra smiles at his young ward who had proven himself to be so strong. "He has made it through the transition. You may take him back to his chambers, if that is your wish."

"That is good to know." Kisame scoops him up gently in his arms. "Thank you for caring for him so well, Lord Indra." He looks down at Itachi's face and smiles fondly. "He's fortunate to have you as his Sire, but I should go before he wakes up in the middle of the hallway."

"Yes, quite." Indra waves his hand at the young demon. "Go on. But do try not to wear him out too quickly. It takes time for a vampire's stamina to increase at first. Though you need no longer fear breaking him when you take him to bed." That had been one of Itachi's worries, after all.

Kisame almost blushed, but managed not to. "I'll take that into consideration." He gives a quick half bow with Itachi in his arms before darting off.

Halfway down the corridor to his chambers, Itachi begins stirring weakly, a soft moan slipping from between his lips. His head rests against Kisame's shoulder and he shifts in his sleep to bury his nose in the collar of his lover's shirt.

He takes that as his cue to hurry and darts off faster. It took only a few seconds for him to get them into their chambers and to set Itachi on the bed. It looked like he was just in time.

In the familiar comfort of his own bed, Itachi shifts in his sleep, slowly regaining consciousness. His eyelids flutter open, revealing glowing crimson eyes. They dart about, before landing on Kisame and staring with a singular intensity.

"It's alright, Itachi. I'm right here." Kisame smiles at him. "Lord Indra turned you." He considers reaching for the newborn vampire, but decides sudden movements might startle him.

Itachi blinks, his mind feeling muggy and foggy and all sorts of fuzzy. But he knew Kisame, and while his heart filled with love, his insides also filled with a rather intense burning sensation. Hunger. "Kisame…" He sits up and reaches for his lover.

"Oh right." Kisame quickly darts by his side and offers Itachi his arm. "Probably best to start you off with my arm instead of neck. It's alright. You can go ahead and bite."

The newborn pouts unhappily, but accepts the proffered arm, licking along the blue skin before biting down and shuffling closer to his lover. He felt so cold, like he'd been plunged into ice water. But Kisame was so warm…

He smiles and holds him. "Just a safety precaution. We'll move up to the neck when you've got some control." Kisame kisses the top of his head. "Though you do seem to be doing great so far."

Itachi bites down a little harder, sucking back enough blood to clear some of the fog from his mind, then withdraws his aching fangs and licks the blood from Kisame's arm, then from his own lips. "…You're warm…" Though it only made sense. After all, Itachi's heart no longer beat. He could neither feel nor hear it there in his own chest.

"Thanks. I think." He smiles at Itachi and pulls him flush against him. "You'll get used to the temperature difference and you'll always have me to warm up if it really bothers you, and even if it doesn't."

Pale lips curve into a smile and Itachi shuts his eyes as he leans against his lover. "It's nice. I'd forgotten how much my temperature would drop when I was turned. I suppose that demons just run on the hot side."

"Depends on the type of demon and it varies a little from demon to demon even within the same species." Kisame holds him tightly. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel…" How could Itachi possibly sum all of it up into only a few words. "…Like myself, I suppose."

"Oh that's good." Kisame grins.

"Yes…it's a feeling I've not had in a long time." Strange, that it would take becoming a vampire for Itachi to feel this strong again. He opens his eyes and leans up to press an insistent kiss to Kisame's blue lips. "Were you worried for me?"

"Only how you'd react to it." He kisses Itachi and smiles. "I knew that Indra would keep you safe during the transformation."

"I see…" Itachi's crimson eyes darken slightly as he presses into Kisame's lap and pushes the giant shark demon down onto his back. "And how exactly do you believe I've reacted to it?"

"You were so anxious about it." He looks up at Itachi. "I thought you'd be angry, depressed, or sad." He runs his fingers through Itachi's hair. "Glad that's not the case. That or you'd just want to drink blood and not really be in control for a bit. That's normal for a newborn though."

"Perhaps, but…" Itachi places a hand to his chest, still a little startled to no longer feel his own heartbeat. "It's as if…a piece has returned, and I had no idea that it was ever gone." It was a strange sensation. And despite the fact that he would not see the sun again for quite some time, everything looked brighter. "And now…I have eternity to spend with you."

"I guess you were just a late bloomer." Kisame laughs softly as he captures Itachi's lips with his own. "I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying you're new existence because it's going to last a long time."

"Yes, I will…but I only bloomed so late because you took this long to arrive." Itachi sinks into the kiss, sighing softly against Kisame's lips.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." Kisame smirks

"Then it's a good thing that you have an eternity to prove that." Itachi presses a searing kiss to Kisame's lips, his eyes alight with a fierce, passionate fire. His skin may now be cold, but his stilled heart felt like it was on fire.

Kisame returns the kiss. "Good." He pulls him closer. "I fear that it may not be long enough."

Itachi rolls his hips as he parts his lips and attacks Kisame with his tongue, creating a little friction to alleviate some of the frustrating arousal pooling in his groin. He was completely and utterly drunk. Drunk on blood, on power, on lust. "Kisame…"

Kisame groans and kisses him harder. "I love you." He meant it more than anything too.

Those words stirred and stoked the fire burning in Itachi's veins, heating and turning his blood to molten steel. "And I, you…I love you…" He glides his hands down Kisame's back, letting a sharp ripping sound fill the air as the thin cloth shirt falls away from Kisame's chest.

"I think I'm going to like you being a vampire." Kisame smirks at him as he sees his normally sweet lover rip off his shirt. "A lot."

Without dignifying the comment with a reply, Itachi kisses his way down Kisame's neck, nipping softly, and only just barely hard enough to break the skin and earn himself a few drops of blood. He had enough sense still in him to know that he had to be careful not to drain Kisame. But he couldn't help but enjoy the exotic sweet and sour taste of his lover's blood. And with a hint of fish. He should have anticipated that much.

He groans at the attention. "Perfect." It was all wonderful. The feeling of Itachi's teeth in his skin. How glorious his once sweet lover looked. The scent of his growing desire. All of it.

Itachi sinks lower on his lover's body, smirking as he leaves dark purple bruises in the blue skin. "I'm glad you think so."

"I know so." He allows Itachi to explore at his own pace. He wasn't afraid of a few lovebites.

Crimson eyes glow in the darkness as Itachi trails further down his demon's body. "I don't frighten you now that I've…changed?"

"Of course not, you're still Itachi." He runs his fingers through the other man's silky tresses. "Besides, shark demons aren't scared of vampires."

"That is…more reassuring than you know." To know that he hadn't lost himself just yet. Pulling the tie from his hair, Itachi allows it to spill across his back and shoulders as he sits up and straddles his demon lover. The fabric of Kisame's pants is next to fall prey to Itachi's impatient and energized fingers.

"I like your hair this way." Kisame smirks as he admires the splendor that was Itachi. "It's much more free. So baby vamp, how do you propose we spend the rest of our evening?"

Itachi smiles, the expression twisting a little in amusement as he runs his hands teasingly down Kisame's bare hips. "I can think of many ways we could spend our evening. Particularly as there is no longer a need for caution." One of the few things he had looked forward to at all about becoming a vampire was the strengthening of his body, and the removal of the need for Kisame to be careful when handling him.

"That's true, but it's going to be awhile before you can match me in stamina." He shivers at the teasing touches. "We've got a long time to enjoy all the privileges of your newfound vampirism though."

Unfortunately, Kisame had a point. But as a human, Itachi had trained his stamina relentlessly. Even if he could not yet match Kisame, he could put up a better fight than most. "Then I trust that you will help me in training my stamina to match yours?" He reaches down to stroke at Kisame's engorged cock, softly caressing the sensitive skin.

He groans and bucks into his hand. "I'd love to." Good thing these walls were soundproof. "What would you like to try first?" He kisses Itachi heatedly, seeming to devour his mouth with an ironic fiery passion.

Itachi moans softly into his lover's mouth, stroking Kisame's shaft with nimble fingers, even as his mouth and eyes were occupied. "I am going to pleasure you. And when you've prepared me, I am going to ride you." And this time, there would be no holding back. "Is that agreeable?"

"Itachi I would have to the biggest fool on the planet to say no to such an offer." Desire was racing through Kisame's veins now. "So Hell yeah, that's agreeable."

"Very good." After all, Itachi already had a foolish little brother. Adding a foolish lover might have been a step too far. He shifts back, breaking the kiss as he shifts his position, turning his backside towards Kisame as he bends down to lick and suckle at the almost intimidatingly large cock. But it was fine, he knew that Kisame loved the view of his ass.

He couldn't resist such a view. Kisame smirks as he smacks that gorgeous bottom and moans at the feeling of Itachi's mouth on him.

Crimson eyes glare back at Kisame as Itachi releases the cock from his mouth. "Kisame!" Honestly, the demon was turning into an even greater pervert than Kakashi!

"You can't tell me that you didn't expect me to do such a thing when you were displaying yourself so nicely for me?" He tilts his head as though Itachi had lost his mind.

Itachi bristles at the insinuation, but returns to his task and lowers his head to wrap his lips around the thick blue cock, taking it slowly deeper into his mouth. He was under no illusions about taking all of it. It was simply impossible, even if he no longer needed to breathe.

Kisame groans as he tries his best not to chuckle at how annoyed Itachi looked. Like a wet cat. It was fucking hilarious, but it was hard to laugh when someone was doing such a skillful job of seducing you.

Being careful not to apply any more stimulation, Itachi coats Kisame's cock in a slippery layer from top to bottom, leaving no part unattended. He arches his back and spread his legs a little wider, letting command fill his voice. "Use the goblet of wine."

"Alright." Kisame quickly grabs the goblet and coats his fingers in the sweet liquid. "Let me know if something causes you distress." He leans over and slides a single digit into his lover.

"Ngh." Itachi groans softly as the thick finger works its way inside. There was discomfort, yes, but no distress. Kisame's ministrations these past few weeks had trained his body well. "Yes…" He pushes back, driving the finger in a little deeper.

He adds another and searches for the spot that he knew would make Itachi see stars. "You're beautiful." The most beautiful being that Kisame had ever seen in his long existence.

As if on command, Itachi's body bends and writhes against the fingers as lights pop in his eyes. It was tight and uncomfortable, but Kisame made finding his pleasure spot seem so easy, so effortless. "Yes…" He hisses quietly as he turns himself around and seats himself more firmly on Kisame's fingers, finally looking down at his lover with heated, lust-blown eyes.

"I guess you're not in the mood for much teasing." Kisame chuckles as he removes his fingers. "Shall we skip straight to dessert?"

More like the main course, but Itachi wouldn't debate semantics now. "There is no need to be gentle this time." He shifts back and presses himself down slowly on the head of Kisame's throbbing erection.

He groans as he thrusts into his lover. "If that's what you wish, i certainly don't mind." Kisame's hands find Itachi's hips and he pulls the vampire down on top of him, slamming their bodies together in an explosion of ecstasy.

Itachi moans wantonly, his hips taking on a rolling motion as he falls over and over back down into Kisame's lap. His hands work their way back up his lover's blue chest until the find his shoulder. Itachi presses down on those broad shoulders, using them for leverage as he raises his hips and drops them back down, riding his lover faster and faster, like coaxing a horse into a full gallop.

"Fuck yes." Kisame groans as he matches Itachi's pace, the two of them moving as one. It was hard to tell where one began and the other ended in their sensual symphony.

The newborn vampire digs his nails into his lover's shoulders, not at all perturbed by the sight of blood beading into tiny droplets along the seams. "Kisame, I'm…" Itachi's head swam with perverse pleasure, his balance rolling over and over. Itachi could no longer tell which way was up. At least not until he found his back pressed down into the soft silk sheets.

He doesn't stop for a moment, the pleasure too addicting to do such a thing. "Don't deny yourself." This position was better anyway. He could see Itachi's beautiful eyes as he surrendered to the frenzy that was their lovemaking.

Crimson eyes stare up at the demon, darkened with lust and hazed with pleasure as Itachi's mouth clenches shut to keep in the screams that threatened to escape him.

Kisame revels in their closeness as the bed shakes underneath them. "You feel so fucking good." He always did. this was paradise.

Itachi groans, nodding encouragingly as he rolls his hips up into Kisame's thrusts. He could already feel the warm, wet, sticky feeling of his own essence dribbling over his stomach. "Kisa…Kisame!" And several sharp thrusts inside of him, stronger than ever before topple Itachi over the edge. And it was a good thing the room was soundproof, because Itachi would forever deny screaming his lover's name.

"Itachi!" Kisame wouldn't, but he never had much in the way of shame to begin with.

Pale arms wrap around Kisame's shoulders, holding the demon close as Itachi nibbles softly along the curve of his neck. He squeezes his muscles tight around Kisame's atill-hard length still buried inside him. The demon was just so tempting…too tempting. Itachi's eyes close for a moment, opening again as he sinks his fangs into his lover's neck. "Tastes wonderful…"

"I'm glad you feel that way." Kisame lets out a sigh of satisfaction at the attention. "You know, I love you." Itachi was still his sexy dolphin, after all.

"Mhm…" Itachi drinks deeply, savoring the taste of his lover for a few moments longer, before ruefully detaching himself. He was surprised that he could detach himself at all. Then again, he drank rather impulsively, so perhaps that was the effect on his appetite. The before, rather than during or after. "And I love you, Kisame." Despite all logic, all caution, and all reservations…he loved this big blue demon who seemed to think he was some sort of secret nymphomaniac. "You make even the darkness seem appealing."

"That's teh sweetest thing you've ever said to me." He chuckles as he pulls Itachi closer. "I'm glad to hear it though because you're not getting away from me that easily."

Itachi moans softly as Kisame shifts inside him. "Yes, I can see that." And he didn't want to. Not anymore. He could…live like this, in a manner of speaking. This manner was particularly breathy. "If you want me, then I am yours."

"I think that I've made it pretty clear, I want you." Kisame smirks widely. He had just laid claim to Itachi's ass, after all, and had been for weeks now.

A pale hand reaches up, twining fingers in dark blue hair as Itachi brings Kisame in for a tender kiss. "Then…I will spend my eternity with you, or for however long you will have me."

"Eternity sounds good to me." Kisame smiles and returns the kiss.

The heat in Itachi's blood begins to fade, quickly replaced by a new heat slowly growing. He shifts his hips and squeezes Kisame's cock when it no longer feels like his insides are going to burst. "Then eternity…starts now."

And what a glorious start it would be.


	17. Chapter 17

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 17

Gaara smiles as he strides into the dining hall alongside his lover. They were not quite back to where they once were, but a great deal of healing could take place in a single week. A week that Gaara had greatly appreciated.

However, he barely refrains from wrapping an arm around Sasuke's waist and showing all of the onlookers who lived in the castle, including both of the vampire lords present in the room, just who the younger Uchiha brother was taking to his bed at night. Perhaps not to roll about like animals again for a little while yet, but to kiss and to cuddle, and to do things far too sweet to be attributed to vampires.

Still, he places his hand protectively upon Sasuke's back and guides him towards the lavishly decorated table laden down with enough food to feed a small army. Or the entire castle staff. Whatever the main residents didn't eat would go to the servants. And what a glorious sight it was. "So, what would you like to eat this morning?" There were rolls and stews, pastries and sweets, sausages and chops, and a medley of sliced, diced, chopped, and mashed vegetables laying about. It was a feast truly fit for kings. Or vampire lords.

He didn't really feel hungry. Sasuke couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. "Just some sausage should be fine." He forces himself to hide his unease. Gaara seemed to be in a good mood and by Indra's castle's standards, nothing seemed amiss at first glance. So what was it?

The redhead frowns slightly, but makes no comment on Sasuke's uneasy mood. He merely pulls a chair out of his lover to seat himself. "Then you will have the finest sausage the castle has to offer." After all, it could be nothing less if it sat on the table at which Indra dined.

"I'm sure I will." He sits down and begins eating once it was considered polite to do so. "Lord Indra's chefs are exceptional." The food was fantastic, but it was a great effort to bother eating. He didn't need to eat and his sense of unease was almost overwhelming.

The frown on Gaara's face deepens as he takes a seat of his own next to his lover. He places a hand on Sasuke's knee, trying to reassure him a little. "Everything is alright, Sasuke. You are safe here." Gaara couldn't imagine Lord Indra allowing anything to happen to Sasuke right in front of him. He was far too interested in his pet's little brother for that.

Sasuke hopes no one overheard that, but with vampire hearing it was a possibility. "I know that." He leans up and nips Gaara's ear playfully while licking it. Better to try to pass it off as his older lover being overprotective than to have the other vampires think him some skittish newborn.

Gaara's eyes glow with a hint of smug satisfaction at Sasuke's gesture, but a hint of worry remains. "Alright." He lowers his voice to barely a whisper. "Then try not to exude so much anxiety. I am not the only one who can feel it."

"You worry too much my love. I'm not going to bite the help." Sasuke figures he could probably pawn it off to him being a newborn and his lover being worried he'd go on a feeding frenzy. Better for him to think he was just struggling with control than whatever else they might be thinking. "I've got it under control." He makes it a 'whisper,' but one he knew any of the vampires actively listening would pick up on.

"Alright." Gaara withdraws his hand, but remains seated very closely to his young lover. "Have the two of you spoken recently?" Gaara hadn't seen hide nor hair of Itachi in a week now, and the blue demon was just as elusive. He could understand Itachi avoiding people in the castle, but to avoid even Sasuke was…unusual.

Sasuke shakes his head. "No. I think it already happened." That was the only explanation for why Itachi suddenly disappeared.

Ah…so that was it. It certainly would explain why Itachi disappeared so suddenly and hadn't reappeared since. Gaara couldn't tell quite how Sasuke felt about it, though.

Then, the doors to the dining hall open and a figure dressed in lavish black silk and dark leather strides inside, a tiny smile playing about his lips. His eyes remains fixed on his companion, the large blue shark demon that had prowled the castle for nearly two months now.

"He did it." Sasuke blinks. He had known it was going to happen, but there was a difference between knowing something in theory and in reality. "I don't hear a heartbeat."

It was true. Gaara watched the man before them approach the table and weave around the other side with his lover. But unlike the human he had grown accustomed to, this man's heart no longer beat.

Itachi smiles at Kisame, then turns his eyes on Indra, using a short bow of respect to greet his master. "Lord Indra." The deference in his voice had noticeably diminished, and the submissive slope to his shoulders had disappeared.

"Itachi, I'm so pleased you could join us this morning." Indra nods at him, deciding best not make a grand show of it. Though to ease the whispers, an explanation was necessary. "For those of you who have not noticed, Itachi is now a vampire like most of our court. He is to be treated as such. Now, with that being said let us all resume our morning meal."

With a nod of acknowledgment, Itachi takes a seat to Indra's right, across the table from his little brother. Perhaps he should have been surprised to see his brother sitting next to Indra, but he wasn't. After all, he had been accorded his own place of honor at Indra's side for years now. It was only right that Sasuke be afforded that same honor. "Good morning, Sasuke."

Sasuke had no idea how to respond to that. "Good morning, Itachi." Other than the woefully basic requirement. Itachi had really just become a vampire and walked into breakfast and greeted him so casually. Though he was probably smart to do so. Had he done otherwise, it would have raised too many questions.

Itachi's eyes flick over his younger brother, noting the tense posture of his body. "I apologize for not telling you. Lord Indra came for me after Kisame and I left you and Gaara in the sitting room." And after their rather heavy conversation. But it was best not to mention that part in front of nosy and overly curious vampires.

"What's done is done." Sasuke nods slowly, not wanting to cause a scene or earn Indra's displeasure. "You are as you were always meant to be now. When you told me matters little in the grand scheme of things."

Certainly, that was true, but Itachi detects the bitter notes in his little brother's voice. Only he knew Sasuke well enough to know. "Yes,, I suppose you're right." Clearly, he and Sasuke would have to have a talk after breakfast. His brother's uneasiness should be given due attention, after all.

Some other vampires wanting to earn Indra's favor propose a toast. Needless to say, that made the rest of breakfast rather interesting. Starting off the day with a bunch of highly intoxicated vampires was always a surreal experience.

* * *

Finally outside of the stuffy dining hall after spending nearly an hour listening to pleasantries being exchanged, Itachi makes off to search for his brother, leaving Kisame behind to attend Nagato for a short while. Something was wrong, he knew it. And like the big brother he wanted to be, he was going to get to the bottom of it.

Itachi had always been perceptive, and one of those perceptions was in regards to people. Living or undead. And Sasuke's energy was particularly strong as it led him back towards the sitting room where he and Sasuke had come upon their lovers plotting a mere week ago.

As he steps into the sitting room, he spots Sasuke lounging on one of the sofas. "Sasuke." Itachi approaches cautiously, unsure as to how his brother would react without Indra's eyes on him.

"You can relax." Sasuke looks up at him. "I'm not going to bite you. It was a shock when you just strode in as a vampire, but I knew that you must have been turned to disappear like that."

Itachi releases an unneeded breath. He was still growing used to the idea that he no longer needed to breathe. "Yes, I suppose that we both knew it was coming." After all, only earlier that day, he had been 'mourning the loss of his humanity', as Sasuke deigned to put it. He smiles wryly. "Though I suppose it's happened much later than you initially expected, hasn't it?"

"I thought you had already been a vampire for years." The younger man's eyes glide over his form looking for something, but what who could really say? "You seem happier now. Was becoming a vampire as horrible as you believed it to be?"

A soft smile curls Itachi's lips. "It is…different than I expected. But I believe that has more to do with just how I will be spending my eternity." True, he hadn't seen his family in years, save for Sasuke, but Kisame was…a light in this never-ending darkness. "Until Kisame appeared, the thought of spending an eternity alone was not a particularly promising outcome. I care little for being Indra's heir, and from now on, I doubt that most of the court will see me as anything but that." Was it really an upgrade from being Indra's pet? Perhaps. At the very least, no one was trying to bite him anymore.

"One wonders how Kisame handles you sometimes." Sasuke shakes his head. "You can find the gray cloud in any silver lining, but I'm glad that you've come to grips with your newfound immortality." Alright technically, they weren't strictly immortal but it was close enough in Sasuke's mind.

Oh…Itachi knew precisely how Kisame had handled his moods over his turning this past week. "He prefers a very…direct approach." Which included bending him over every piece of furniture in Itachi's chambers and broke a few of those pieces of furniture. "He leaves very little room for thinking when locking me in my chambers for a week."

"I'm moderately disturbed by the images you just conjured up." The raven haired vampire blinks as though trying to process it. "Though I will admit to a morbid curiosity when it comes to the mechanics of such a relationship, I'm not going to ask for fear of being scarred for life."

"Being a vampire makes one considerably more durable." A fact that Sasuke would know, but Itachi felt that bringing up could help in understanding without the need for details. "And he has exceptional control when it comes to not clamping his teeth anywhere that he shouldn't." Which, considering the sharp nature of Kisame's teeth, was essentially anywhere.

Sasuke flinches at the implication. "Alright. Alright." He didn't need to know anymore than that. "At least this way you don't look like a kicked puppy anymore."

Itachi chuckles softly. "Yes…Kisame is particularly pleased about that development. It was…as though the pieces of me that had been missing had finally returned." Most of them, anyway, but not all. "I feel more myself than I used to."

"You do seem more yourself." The other Uchiha pauses as though searching for the right words. "More like the person you were before you left."

"Yes…and I am truly sorry that I hurt you." Itachi cautiously approaches, deeming Sasuke calm and receptive enough for it. "It was the hardest action I had ever had to take in my life."

"I may regret saying this later, but I believe you to be sincere." He nods at Itachi cautiously.

A weight lifts from Itachi's chest, letting his heart feel as light as a feather. "Thank you. And let me renew this promise that I have kept since you first stepped into this castle." He circles around and kneels next to Sasuke, bringing his face level with his little brother's. "I will never lie to you again."

Sasuke tilts his head. "I'm not sure you can keep that promise, but I'd like to believe you will." He sighs as he looks at Itachi. "It's hard. All those years, I invested everything into one goal and that goal was a mirage. I suppose that's the real reason I don't know how to react to you."

Yes, that much was evident from the lost expression on Sasuke's face. But perhaps Itachi could give him a push in the right direction. "Then what is your new goal?"

"I don't have a concrete goal." Sasuke shrugs, it was almost unthinkable of him to admit that. "I want to play the game well and become more powerful so I'm never in that position again, but other than that..." There was almost nothing. "Nothing concrete besides killing Orochimaru and that shall only take an evening." After all, he already had Gaara's love.

"You seem quite determined to defend my honor." And it provoked amusement in Itachi to see his little brother so determined to kill the vampire who had harassed him. "Very well, if you plan to play the game well, I would suggest first making a friend of Lord Nagato, Kisame's employer. He often has Lord Indra's ear, and the man is a refined, intelligent, and courteous individual. And he is the first of many allies that it would be wise to cultivate."

Then, Itachi considers giving his little brother a warning. "However, you should keep far away from Hidan. He is rather violent and unpleasant, and has a particular loathing for me." Because in addition to Itachi contacts, knowledge, and tentative allies, Sasuke would likely also inherit his enemies.

"It's partially about that." Sasuke didn't want Itachi to get a big head though. "Mostly it's because I know that he'll eventually turn his eyes towards me and any death I give him will be a mercy compared to what Gaara will do to him." The fact Orochimaru was still alive with a certain shark about was shocking in of itself. "I'd ask about dispatching Hidan, but that might be greedy and would raise too much suspicion if they die too closely together."

"Agreed." Heavens help him, Itachi was plotting murder with his little brother. How times did change…

* * *

A few hours later, Kisame grins as he watches Itachi practice using his sword as a vampire. Unfortunately, it wasn't his favorite kind of sword, but it was still funny to watch him explore his new abilities. Becoming a vampire had done wonders for his already impressive physical prowess.

"You seem to be in a damn good mood today." He watches Itachi parry and thrust with the sword. "Did something happen when you snuck off after breakfast?"

"Yes, I suppose that you could say that." Itachi twists his wrist and thrusts the sword at lightning speed, more than a little satisfied with the sheer speed of the strikes. He turns it around, swinging it in an arc as he moves to face Kisame. "It seems that my little brother and I will be plotting murder together for the foreseeable future."

"That's sweet in a twisted way?" Kisame wasn't really sure what the appropriate thing to say to such a declaration was. "Guess that means you're getting along better?"

"Yes, much." Though considering the way they had started out, that wasn't really much of an upgrade. There were very few ways in which they could have become worse than their initial relationship here. But still, Itachi was glad to have his brother, even if only tentatively, on his side. "I hope that you are not particularly fond of either Orochimaru of Hidan."

"Orochimaru needs to die for the way he looks at you and normally I don't care about Hidan one way or another." Kisame shrugs, but then shows his teeth. "Other than what he did to you when you first showed up at court. So I'm not going to cry over either of their deaths."

"Good." Though it was a bit odd to have his lover condoning Itachi plotting murder. But the display of aggression on his behalf was strangely exciting. Exciting enough for him to finally sheathe his sword after two long hours of practice. "Now, are you planning on watching me practice all day, or did you have something else in mind?" Itachi's eyes twinkle with amusement upon meeting with a rather persistent gaze.

He smiles and pulls Itachi into his arms. "Well, you're gorgeous. So I wouldn't mind watching you all day." Though he'd rather do other things. "If you're getting bored though, I'm sure that I can come up with a way to keep you entertained." He kisses him.

"Yes…I'm sure." Itachi hums with amusement. "After all, haven't you kept me away from the eyes of the court for a week now?" At this rate, they were all liable to think he'd turned into a ghost.

"Yes, it's been a most enjoyable week." Kisame smirks, clearly feeling quite proud of himself.

Itachi lowers his eyelids slightly, smirking in his own right as he slips out of Kisame's arms. "Yes it certainly has been." He reaches up and pulls the tie from his hair, letting the long raven locks spill across his back just the way Kisame liked it. He'd only tied it back today for his sword practice. "I almost wonder if there's anything on your mind other than food, fighting, and making love." He chuckles at the thought of that relative impossibility. Kisame was very much an instinctual creature by nature. But Itachi wouldn't have him any other way.

"No, that about covers it." He tilts his head and rubs his chin. "Everything circles back to those topics eventually. Why what else should be on my mind?"

Dark eyes roll as Itachi begins sauntering away. "It could be art, culture, history, politics…" He waves his hand and a tiny flame appears. "Magic."

"I get that you're into that stuff, but if you think about it most things tie back to food, fighting, or lovemaking in one way or another. " Kisame darts after Itachi before capturing him in his arms. "Never really had an interest in it myself, but my favorite kind of magic involves making you moan. And I doubt any painting can compete with you laying naked on our bed."

Itachi leans back into Kisame's arms with a gentle smile on his face. Our bed. For a while now, Kisame had taken to calling Itachi's chambers THEIR chambers, and Itachi's bed, THEIR bed. He couldn't recall exactly when it started, but it felt very right. "Yes, it seems so." And they would be making a lot of that magic in the future. Though that did beg a few questions. "When your kind…chooses a mate, do they…always have pups?" He remembered Kisame mentioning them what felt like a lifetime ago.

"Not always." It was the general goal though. "I know that's not a possibility for us. We're both men. Suppose we could always find a brat we like and take them in though."

Both men, and one of them was now a vampire, rendered unable to have children as part of the transformation. But perhaps Sasuke was right about him finding the gray cloud on the edge of every silver lining. "I suppose we should count our blessings, then." Itachi chuckles softly. "Just imagine the tiny terror that we would have if they inherited your temperament and my magical skills." They would be putting out fires daily.

"Yes, that would have been quite the sight." He smiles and kisses Itachi's cheek. "If you really want one of our own blood though, there may be some witches who are capable of such things."

"Half vampire and half demon?" Was such a thing even possible? Itachi wasn't sure, and honestly, it was more than a little daunting. "Were I still human, I would argue that I am certainly old enough to begin having children of my own now. However…" That was not the case now. "I never did ask Indra, but is there an age of adulthood for immortals that I haven't been told about?"

"There's not strict age requirement, but everyone has their own opinion." Kisame smiles as he kisses his forehead. "Besides, we don't have to do it immediately. You should get used to being a vampire first at the very least.

Yes, time was good, Itachi could work with that. After all, they now had an eternity together. There were just a few little obstacles that needed to be cast out of the way first. "Alright, I'll do my best to get used to being a vampire, then we can consider the option more carefully."

It was strange that Itachi was in love with a man who could be both ferocious and gentle. His parents never would have approved, but it had been so long since he had last seen them that their approval no longer mattered very much. Sasuke approved even if he didn't say it directly, and that was more than enough for Itachi. "Such a strange demon, you are, able to kiss me as gently as a newborn, or fuck me like an animal when I allow it."

"I'm a demon of many talents." Kisame grins at him, displaying his sharp teeth. "What can I say, I was just born that lucky?"

"Yes…you are…" It also reminded Itachi that Kisame's teeth were extremely sharp. Teeth…right. He reaches up and turns about in Kisame's arms, gliding elegant fingers along Kisame's neck. "Very lucky…" To taske so wonderfully delicious. "May I?" He did try to control his urges, but Kisame just had him coming back for more, almost losing control like a newborn.

He smiles at Itachi even more. "Of course." He didn't even really have to ask at this point. Kisame would deny him nothing. Though it was kind of him to do so.

Those words nearly have Itachi losing his mind as he leans up to run his tongue along Kisame's neck, sensitizing the skin before gently biting down. Kisame may have a mouth full of sharp teeth, but as he hadn't had any accidents yet with Itachi, the vampire believed that it was only right to return the favor in the form of biting gently. He moans softly as the taste of blood hits his tongue. "Mm…it's…" Itachi looks up playfully. "Fishy."

"Do you like fishy?" He laughs at his lover's pun.

"Yes…I love my fishy."Itachi smirks against the blue skin as he drinks deeply. "You should know that by now."

"I suppose I deserved that what with all the dolphin jokes." He chuckles.

Yes, his lover certainly did deserve it for all of the dolphin jokes. Itachi gracefully slurps down several more mouthfuls of blood, before finally detaching his fangs from Kisame's neck. "You started it. I am merely reciprocating." And he would do a lot more reciprocating in the days to come.


	18. Chapter 18

Thicker Than Water

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 18

Itachi leans leisurely against the armrest of the sofa, his dark hair spilling over his shoulders and down his back for Kisame to brush. It was rather amusing to see a demon brushing a vampire's hair. But Itachi was well aware that his lover did it because he knew Itachi enjoyed it. It was calming, soothing, relaxing… And it was most certainly a pleasant accompaniment to a conversation that Itachi felt was rather important to have.

He points to one of the crests set out on the long scroll before him, a hypnotic swirling design, denoting one of the many noble vampiric houses. "It should come as a given that, outside of the Sabaku house, your first and foremost priority should be gaining Lord Nagato as an ally. His house is old and powerful, with a line dating back as far as Lord Indra himself. From his brother, in fact. Though be cautious, some of their members are rather…eccentric. Not unfriendly in the least, merely…not quite what you would expect from a clan of vampires."

These were simply things that Sasuke would have to learn in order to properly navigate the tumultuous world of vampire court politics. One wrong move was more than enough to get you killed. Particularly if you were a newborn, or worse, human.

It was the most bizarre feeling to have Itachi take on the role of Sasuke's instructor again. "I figured as much. Lord Nagato is a given and his clan's reputation is well known." Clearly, his brother had decided to start with the basics. Maybe Itachi was as uncertain on how to proceed as he was and there was comfort in stating the obvious.

"Lord Nagato is, from what I have seen, reasonable and friendly, as well as prone to discussing philosophy with the older vampires of the court." A quirk that Itachi respected, though wished was extended to him. "As a friend to Lord Indra, Lord Nagato will be far more willing to hear you out, should you approach him. Though another easy route into the clan's favor would be…" Itachi's eyes flick to Gaara. "A young heir to the clan, and an acquaintance of yours, if I'm not mistaken."

Gaara nods silently. That fact was indeed true, if an understatement of their relationship. "Yes, I am well-acquainted with Naruto Uzumaki."

"I'd rather earn his approval based on my own fangs than by proxy through a friendship with a favorite of his." Sasuke shakes his head. "Though if you truly think it's more ideal, I'll consider approaching Naruto. He's the blond hyper one that forever is babbling about optimistic nonsense. Isn't he?" Which to be fair did put him a few pegs above Deidara who was another blond vampire who never shut up, only Deidara never shut up about art and explosions.

"Indeed he is. Though if you wish to earn Lord Nagato's respect by your own merit, you had best brush up on your comprehension of philosophy and politics. Such things are what hold his interest most." Itachi sighs. His brother's pride might very well be the death of him one day. "But I would also suggest approaching Naruto merely for his friendship. He may be young now, but he is slated to take over leadership when Lord Nagato has had his fill of the position. Outside of that, he has a reputation for being unpredictable, but bringing in quite effective results in whatever it is he puts his mind to. He is a valuable ally to have."

Sasuke could hear the judgement, even if Itachi didn't come out and say it. He manages not to roll his eyes, but only just. "I'm not sure why you think me so inept at politics and philosophy." Brush up on as far as Sasuke was concerned was Itachi's tactful way of saying he found his younger brother's knowledge in those fields lacking or assumed they would be. "Father and Mother saw to my education in your absence and Temari wasn't neglectful in that area either."

As for the part about Naruto, Sasuke knew that to some degree it was almost fate he'd meet Naruto more officially. "I'll be sure to let Naruto know you think so highly of him. I doubt Kisame is overly happy to hear you singing another man's praises, but I'm sure it will please him." He didn't have high hopes that he'd really ENJOY the blonde's company. They were simply too different, but from what little Sasuke knew of him, the hyper one seemed to be be a decent vampire. Granted he lived in some mythical land of sunshine and rainbows that only he was really privy too, but whatever. No vampire was completely sane.

Itachi tries not to wince at the jab about their parents. But he does wince when strong fingers clench slightly in his hair and pull his head back slightly. "Kisame?" Perhaps…he had overestimated Kisame's self-restraint, and underestimated his jealous streak. Because the light in those demonic eyes was enough to set even Itachi on edge. On the fun kind of edge. "…You know very well that I have no feelings of that sort for Naruto." Perhaps that might appease him slightly.

"I know. That's why I haven't ripped his head off." Kisame smiles at Itachi as if that sort of declaration was just common sense.

That wasn't a particular comfort, but Itachi would take what he could get. "I see…" Wonderful, now he would have to keep an even closer eyes on his beloved. Not an easy task, when he was trying to offer his foolish little brother enough advice to keep him alive. Sort of.

"In any case, while Lord Nagato should be foremost among the allies you should seek out, there are more than a few lords and ladies seeking to gain Lord Indra's favor. They may start to view seeking your favor as an easy way into Lord Indra's good graces, when he makes his interest in you public knowledge. Be careful not to be used by them, and always try to stay on top of whom they've taken as a lover, made a friend of, or turned on." All were important details to know when leveraging influence. Or when using blackmail.

Sasuke tilts his head and nods. "I surmised as much." Maybe Itachi really still did see him as the child that had been left behind. This was all common sense, but he had learned something useful about Naruto. So for now, he was content to listen to his brother's council. "What about Orochimaru, if he dies...is there anyone that would mourn him?"

The thought almost makes Itachi laugh. "Mourn him, no. But there are some it will enrage, and others will be prompted to scramble in the vacuum of power he leaves behind. He is not loved, but he is feared by some, respected by others. Some would argue it is the same thing. And of course there would be many who would find relief in his passing. Assuming one can get past his rather loyal bodyguards."

"I thought as much. So the fallout would be minimal, even if it was discovered he was murdered." Sasuke nods as he mulls it over. The body guards and power vacuum would likely become quite irritating to deal with, if that wasn't managed carefully though. "On the balance of it all, more good would come from his death than annoyance at dealing with his followers, correct?"

Itachi doesn't even blink. "Yes, so long as his bodyguards are dealt with swiftly. "They are his favorites, and not to be taken lightly. There are six of them, all various sorts of demons." Because a man like Orochimaru would never keep too many vampires close. Too much competition for the seat at the top of the food chain that way. "Lord Indra would surely not complain about being rid of him. I believe the only reason he has not dealt with Orochimaru himself is because he wants to portray himself above such things as petty murder."

"I would almost suggest taking them out first, but that would alert the snake." Sasuke frowns.

"Precisely. And if you do plan to go ahead and pretend to allow him to seduce you, such an act would quickly give you away." Itachi glances at the subtly twitching redhead. "I would suggest having Lord Gaara waiting in the wings to dispose of them while you focus your attention on their master."

"That's still a six on one fight." Sasuke looks at Gaara. "Do you feel you can handle that? Perhaps it would be best to allow Temari to lead one or two of them away. That way you and Kisame could easily handle the rest. Itachi could follow with Temari to ensure she doesn't get overwhelmed. If Kisame is seen with Itachi near Orochimaru, that will put the guards on edge."

Aqua eyes narrow slightly. "I think you underestimate my reputation. It could be a twelve on one battle, and it wouldn't make a difference. You forget just what I am capable of." Gaara could certainly take Temari or Kankuro with him. But he imagined that they would rather do more productive things with their time than watch him tear apart a few little demons.

Sasuke places a quick kiss against Gaara's lips in order to pacify him. "I haven't really seen you in battle yet." He smiles at the red head in a borderline apologetic way. "I just didn't want to risk you getting hurt is all. If you think you can take them, I believe you. It's probably wise to bring at least one of them along if possible though." He didn't want to wound his lover's pride, but Sasuke couldn't the other vampire suffering for his impulsiveness. "Just to ensure no one else sneaks up in the midst of your battle and sounds the alarm."

Gaara rolls his eyes and acquiesces, sort of. "Very well, I will bring Kankuro along to watch. He can play with his puppets while I attend to Orochimaru's demons. Bringing Itachi would make it look suspicious, like a conspiracy. Taking a walk with my brother and being provoked into battle by arrogant demons will look far less so. Just as killing Orochimaru for attempting to seduce you would go over better with the court than the two of you outright murdering him." He knew the facts. It didn't mean that he had to like them, though.

"It's strangely erotic when you go all homicidal. I don't know why." Sasuke smiles at him, content to indulge in some burrowing against his lover despite the fact Itachi could see them.

Kisame nods in approval. "Do you hear that Itachi? It's a GOOD thing when your lover is willing to kill for you." The shark demon smirks as though that statement would make the gorgeous vampire 'see the light.'

Itachi snorts and shakes his head. "Forgive me for retaining at least something of my human conscience." He still didn't advocate for murder, but sometimes it was necessary, he understood that much. "And while the image of you tearing Hidan or Orochimaru in half appeals to my vengeful side, please realize that this is very much a personal crusade." One that he was semi-reluctantly allowing Sasuke to join him on. "Thankfully, killing Hidan will be far easier than killing Orochimaru."

"One day, you'll get it through that pretty little head of yours that humans are no better or worse than most supernatural species." Kisame kisses Itachi's forehead. "Humans don't have a monopoly on consciences. It's just mine works much more efficiently than yours. I consider it more wrong to let some perverted vampire terrorize you than I do to slaughter said pervert or his minions."

Goodness, and here Itachi had thought that perhaps Kisame was learning how to behave himself. "Then it is a good thing that you will not need to suffer Orochimaru's existence for much longer. The court is due to convene once more in six months time. After that, the next opportunity will likely not arise for another ten years." Which meant that they would have to move quickly, or risk delaying their moves significantly.

"You're right." Kisame sighs as though he were a chastised puppy.

Itachi rolls his eyes and presses a kiss to Kisame's cheek. "If it will make you feel at all better, you will have great entertainment when the court reconvenes. Hidan is going to die very publicly out in the central courtyard."

The shark instantly brightens. "It would make me feel much better actually." That bastard had it coming to him considering what he did to Itachi.

"I see…that is an interesting tactic." Gaara considers the idea for a moment, then nods in approval. "Yes, I could see how that would be more effective than an assassination. I doubt anyone would be surprised. He has a rather unfortunately overactive mouth."

"You can say that again." Sasuke nods in agreement. "I'm thirsty though and I'm sure that Itachi has to be ravenous by now."

Itachi shifts uncomfortably under Sasuke's gaze, unwilling to admit that he had barely been resisting the urge to pin Kisame to the floor and drain enough blood to fill his stomach for hours now. It was undignified and embarrassing and terribly poor manners. And because of that, his head was beginning to feel as though it was going to explode. Itachi hoped that it wasn't a prelude to more alarming things. "…Is it always like this at the beginning? To feel as though you would die if you aren't constantly consuming blood?"

"It's always like that in the beginning." Sasuke nods at him. "Actually most are that way for decades after being concerned. It's actually amazing how well you've been controlling yourself. Maybe you should go and feed off Kisame…" He doubted the shark would mind and Itachi would probably want his privacy.

"I see, so then my battle for control will continue a while yet." And yet, Itachi could not see Sasuke having any problems suppressing his own urges. Though feeding did sound rather tempting right about now. "I have had many years of practice suppressing my emotions, Sasuke. Do not doubt that with the right motivation, I can suppress bloodlust for a time, too." Not forever, though. Itachi wasn't nearly naive enough to believe that he had that sort of control over himself.

"Itachi, feed or else you won't be able to suppress anything. Starving yourself will only lead to you indulging in a massacre." Sasuke shakes his head as he stands up and takes Gaara's hand. "You may know more of court life than I do, but I have had a head start on being an actual vampire. It's one thing to live with them, but it's another to be one of them."

Gaara slides one arm around Sasuke's waist, sparing a glance back at the elder of the brothers. "He's right." Gaara knew as much from firsthand experience. "I'm certain that we'll see you later." For now, though, it was probably best to leave before the newborn got much hungrier. Hungry newborns could get testy. And testy, hungry newborns were never a good thing.

Sasuke nods as he heads off with Gaara, happy to be both right and to feel the red head's arm against him. Besides, Itachi did need to feed and he wouldn't do it in front of Sasuke.

"They're right, Itachi." Kisame bites into his own arm with his fangs. "I don't mind."

Itachi shivers as the scent of blood hits his senses. Controlling himself in front of his little brother had been difficult. But it would be impossible to control himself when Kisame was offering his blood so freely. "Thank you…" He knew better than to protest, and merely latches onto Kisame's arm, cradling it with his body as he crawls into his beloved's lap and greedily sucks back the salty, intoxicating ambrosia that drips from his lover's arm.

"You know all you have to do is ask." Kisame smiles as he watches his lover feed. "There isn't any shame in getting thirsty. It's no more different than a human getting hungry."

Except that Itachi knew the difference, and the need to drink blood still weighed on him. At least he hadn't drained a human yet. He carefully detaches himself from Kisame's arm, his gaze pensive and unhappy. "It…will merely take a little time to get used to. I dislike the thought of killing a human just to ease my thirst." And he was glad that there were so few humans about. If he had come across one…he wasn't sure what he would have done, only that the human likely would not have survived. "The thought of what I might do to ease my own suffering…unsettles me."

"You don't have to kill just to feed." Kisame shakes his head and smiles at him. "Many vampires manage to do so without killing any humans and I'll be there to pull you back, if you're that worried about it."

Itachi leans into Kisame, licking slowly at the muscular blue arm. "With you…it is difficult enough to control myself. But humans are largely defenseless. Even if you could pull me back…there is always a chance that it would be too late."

"I wish you'd have a little more faith in me. I can handle you." He smirks. "I always do."

"Hn. Only you would make a reference to sex when I find myself more worried about committing murder." Sometimes, Itachi couldn't understand the way Kisame's mind worked. At other times, however, it was as easily read as an open book.

He gives him a confused look. "I'm really not sure why you say that as though it's a bad thing." Itachi did have a way of making even simple things sound ridiculously complicated. Oh well. He loved his little dolphin anyway.

Itachi shakes his head. Kisame was a wonder at times. Truly. "It's nothing. Merely my own existential musings." He licks his lips slowly as he looks up at Kisame, removing even the slightest traces of Kisame's blood from them. "As usual, you are…delicious."

"I'm glad you think so because I feel the same way about you." Kisame kisses him.

A smile crosses Itachi's face as he returns the kiss and he presses a hand to Kisame's chest, pushing the demon down to lay back on the floor. "So I am delicious, am I?"

"Of course." He smiles up at him. "What else would you be?" Maybe Itachi would have chosen a fancier word, but…eh, it got the point across.

"The one you find most beautiful, I would hope." Itachi leans down, shifting so as to lay molded against his lover's body, kissing him eagerly. After the turning, he suffered not only from great bloodlust, but also from ordinary lust as well. Though in the case of Kisame, Itachi felt his lust for the demon rather extraordinary.

"Delicious seems like a good word for you." He smirks deepens the kiss. "I'd even say perfect, if it wasnt' for your martyr streak, but we'll work on that. I love you."

"And I, you." Itachi would protest the martyr remark later. For now, all that mattered was the taste of Kisame's kiss and the all-consuming nature of the shark demon's passion.

"Well, I see that the two of you are as close as ever." Indra laughs as he walks into the room. "I'm glad that the change in your species hasn't dampened your passions for one another."

Itachi's face instantly burns a vivid scarlet as he moves to sit up, straddling Kisame's lap in an effort to looks less scandalous. "Ah, Lord Indra!" He hadn't expected his master to simply waltz into the sitting room. While it wasn't technically inside of his quarters, very few ventured into this wing of the castle because it was largely off limits. At the very least, Indra took his protection seriously. "…What…brings you here?"

"Oh I merely wanted to see how you were doing after being transformed." He smiles at him and shakes his head in amusement. "Itachi, you needn't be so bashful. For a vampire sex is almost as natural as breathing."

"…Perhaps, but that does not mean that I intended for you to walk in on…" He gestures to Kisame, trying to divert a little of the attention. "And I never stated that we were going to partake in such activities…here…" Though he would not be opposed to it, so long as Indra did not decide to watch.

"Well, I shall take this to mean you're adjusting well and leave you to your privacy?" He chuckles as he turns to leave. "By the way, have you seen your brother today?"

"…I believe that he is in a similar state of affairs with Lord Gaara…in their chambers." Even if he had to be subject to Indra's amusement, Itachi could at least spare Sasuke the indignity of nearly being caught with his trousers about his ankles.

"I'm certain that many in our court will mourn how quickly your brother found his match compared to you." He laughs and nods. "I shall speak to him later then." He leaves before Kisame could issue a witty retort, but the shark demon's laughter is easily heard in concert with Indra's.

Itachi pouts as he settles down a touch. "I'm glad to see that you and Indra find this situation so amusing." Did Kisame have no shame? What if Indra had walked in while his lover had been ravishing him on the floor? The court would gossip about it for DECADES.

"You're so irresistible when you get all bashful." Kisame smiles at him.

A single dark eyebrow raises in question. "Irresistible, am I?" He hadn't thought that his utter embarrassment would be so attractive. "Are you sure that you're not simply seeing things? I did take more than my fair share of blood from you."

Kisame rolls his eyes at Itachi. "I can shut the door and prove it to you, if you like. I know how modest you are." Honestly, Itachi could be impossible sometimes.

A dark gaze flicks to the doors to the sitting room, then back to the demon beneath him. "No, there's no need. No one else will bother us today." Sasuke had fled with his lover, and Indra knew to leave them be. All that was left was Kakashi. And Itachi knew that the man could take stock of the situation without even setting foot in the room.

Itachi shifts his hips and leans down to press a searing kiss just under Kisame's strong jaw. "I will show you that I can be as improper as you'd like me to be."

"That sounds perfect to me." Kisame smirks and kisses him. "Let's see just how improper you can be."

Itachi chuckles as the sound of hard leather hitting the floor echoes through the room. Four months until the next gathering of the court. Four months to plot and plan. Four months of love and peace before they would finally rid themselves of the eyesores that had plagued Itachi for ten years now.

And then…THEN, Itachi would finally be able to rest easy in his new life. As a vampire. With his little brother returned to him. At least, that was the plan.

But first, everything had to GO to plan.


	19. Chapter 19

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 19

Itachi rolls his eyes as he slides golden earrings into the new holes in his ears. He'd never been one to decorate himself very much, but it seemed that Indra was going to prove a point tonight. A point that came with new clothes, and a great deal of golden embroidery and accents, with just a touch of jewelry here and there. He almost felt like a prince.

On the other hand, this came at the end of nearly four months of relentless planning and plotting and training. And more than a few mishaps involving Amaterasu. Talented and determined, Sasuke certainly was. Cautious, he was not. Itachi was lucky not to have had his head accidentally incinerated. It was a very close call.

Fortunately, though a year ago he would have certainly said unfortunately, he was not the only one being subjected to the mandatory dressing up for the evening. It was rather amusing to see the boy who had once insisted on wearing his training clothes every day turn into the young man fiddling with the complicated laces of the new gilded jerkin that Indra had sent for him. "Would you like some help, Sasuke?"

"I think I can manage." The stupid thing looked regal, but it had far too many laces. "I've almost got it." Wasn't there something equally impressive he could wear that wasn't as complicated as a woman's corset?

Itachi chuckles and successfully slides the earring in before traversing the room to stand behind his little brother. "Be glad that you haven't had to struggle with these for nearly as many years as I have." Indra had insisted on giving him several as he grew, insisting that leather flattered Itachi's frame. His fingers work to straighten the laces and pull them tight. He'd found, at first, that he'd needed help in reaching them and tightening them properly, but over the years had developed a few tricks for dealing with the contraptions by himself. "Just be glad that this one is not as tight as a lady's dress."

"How kind of him to spare at least some of our dignity." Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Do you think that Gaara will be saddled with one of these torture devices as well?"

"It is unlikely that your lover will also be subjected to this." After all, as much as Indra favored Gaara, Itachi knew the truth. "You were largely invisible for the duration of the last gathering of the court, and I was not turned until after the celebrations were over for my own safety. Now, Indra has two Uchiha vampires in his hands, and it's clear that he intends to show the both of us off to his court."

"I'm not sure if I should find that strangely endearing or disturbing that he wants to parade us about like beloved pets." Sasuke tilts his head at the thought.

"Best for you to see it as both." Itachi had been living with it for a decade now, and he knew that as a vampire, it was only going to become more intense. "To him, we are proof that even now his human line is strong, and that our quality and power makes for excellent candidates to be turned into vampires. But until we are at least Gaara's age, neither he, nor the court will see us as potential competitors in their game."

Sasuke shrugs at that. "I imagine that the Amaterasu will move up that timeline and if not, we'll just use it to our advantage." They'd be foolish not to.

"Better to let them believe at first that we pose no threat. That way, when it is time to strike, we will retain the element of surprise and therefore the upper hand." Itachi tugs the jerkin down a little to straighten out the collar. "And what better way to lower their guard than to play the parts of Indra's young, innocent, ignorant pets?"

"Have you met Gaara?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "No one is going to believe I'm innocent, but I suppose that's a valid point." It was a bit galling to purposely hide what he was capable of, but there was certain merit in the strategy.

"Compared to Indra's favorite former ripper, you are extremely innocent, Sasuke." And Itachi doubted that the court would be daft enough not to realize it. "…If you would rather remain that way…it would not be impossible for me to approach and kill Orochimaru instead." If Sasuke didn't want to go through with all of this, Itachi would not force him to.

Sasuke's fangs flash in annoyance. "He'd never believe that you'd run into his arms after that many rejections and everyone knows how devoted you and Kisame are to each other." Even Orochimaru wasn't that oblivious. "I'm fully capable of handling one perverted vampire, Itachi." He did it all the time with Gaara, but the red head was the good kind of pervert. "I'm not actually going to do anything with him, but it'll distract him."

"…Very well." Itachi had no right to stop Sasuke and he knew that. But was it wrong that he still wanted to protect his precious little brother? He didn't think so. "Are you ready to play the part of Indra's pet? I will warn you now that there will be some who will eye you covetously, and others who will loathe your very existence."

"I don't think that playing the role is optional." Sasuke shrugs, trying his best to feign a more casual demeanor. "He's decided to favor us in a very public fashion. So the looks and hatred is coming our way in any case."

"Yes…unfortunately you are quite correct." And while Itachi had years of experience brushing those remarks and looks off, Sasuke was going to be plunged into it the way that Itachi had been when he was just thirteen. Itachi had been alone. But he would not allow Sasuke to suffer that injustice. He brushes his hands along Sasuke's shoulders and squeezes reassuringly. "Are you ready?"

He tilts his head at Itachi. "Honestly, I believe you're far more nervous about this entire affair than I." A lot more in Sasuke's estimation actually. "Itachi, I've got an extremely territorial former ripper for a lover. I pity anyone who would dare to do more than shoot me a dirty look." No matter whether their intentions were lecherous or malicious in nature.

"What reason do I have not to be nervous? My little brother is about to be thrown to the sharks, whether Indra intends it or not." And not the fun kind of shark who would do anything that Itachi could possibly ask.

"One would think you'd be more pleasantly disposed towards sharks now." Sasuke smirks at his pun as they make their way forward.

Itachi rolls his eyes and raises his hand to press two fingers to the middle of Sasuke's forehead. "One shark, not all sharks. And only because that man can do the most wicked things with his tongue."

"I didn't need to hear that." Sasuke makes a disgusted face. "Itachi, really? Never mind, let's go."

The elder of the two chuckles with amusement as the two of them stride down the corridor towards the banquet hall. And though he knew that the two of them were about to become the pinnacle of court gossip for the foreseeable future, it didn't dampen his spirits. Sasuke was speaking to him, training with him, even letting Itachi help him get dressed. It was more than he ever could have hoped for. Not even the annoyances of the court could upset him right now.

As they approach the doors to the banquet hall, the guards eye the two of them with wary respect. Then they pull the doors open, letting the two fashionably late young vampires into the lavishly decorated banquet hall. The point was to make an entrance, after all. No sense in being on time.

Sasuke looks around, but tries to keep his expression neutral. This was an important moment. He and Itachi were on full display now.

As all eyes in the hall fall on the two of them, Itachi keep his eyes focused on his master, while he listens and feels the rhythm of Sasuke's steps, adjusting his own to match Sasuke's every stride. But there was a certain thrill in feeling just how everything in the room seemed to stop for the two of them. Shock, awe, envy…everything simply swirled around them, and Itachi refused to let it touch him now.

Upon approaching the head table, Itachi bows, though not nearly as low as he did while still human and without lowering his eyes from his master. "Lord Indra."

"Itachi." Indra smiles at him fondly. Perhaps in his own borderline psychotic way, Sasuke muses that the vampire lord card for his brother. The son analogy was looking more and more apt in Itachi's case. "It brings me great joy to see that you have become what you were always meant to and it brings me further joy still to see that you have been reunited with your brother."

"Yes, we are still working on repairing what has been broken, but we are no longer at great odds with each other." Itachi glances at Sasuke, a smile playing about his lips. "Save for on what to do for dinner."

Sasuke almost wanted to scold Itachi for commenting on their relationship, but he decides not to. There was likely some sort of method to his madness.

"Wonderful." Indra nods at them. "Then let us celebrate this good fortune with a grand feast." He claps and lively music begins to play while he gestures towards the mountains upon mountains of delicious delicacies on the table and all the blood that had been poured as freely as if it was nothing more than wine. Though the scent of that rich liquid told everyone otherwise.

Itachi takes the place to Indra's right, sitting tall and proud, and pointedly ignoring all of intense stares he was being pinned with. Rather than trying to be invisible, he looks up once, smiles, then proceeds to begin eating whatever took his fancy, including a selection of rather delicate pastries. But what truly grabbed the attention of the court was the fragrant blood poured into his goblet which he sipped elegantly, and without a single trace of disgust.

Sasuke takes his cue from his brother and proceeds to mimic his actions to the best of his abilities. All the while subtly scanning the crowd for a sign of the red head or even Kisame.

The banquet hall was lades with a great many tables for the various members of the court and their entourage. At one, sat the Sabaku siblings, and at another, Kisame watched over his master, one of the Uzumaki lords, accompanied by several members of his family.

Several outliers sat scattered across the tables, and one in particular glared at Itachi menacingly, his fangs showing and glinting like his slicked silver hair.

Hidan didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke. It was no longer a mystery which vampire attacked Itachi, but his brother had plans. He'd respect them. And if it appeared that Itachi was losing the battle, he'd stake Hidan himself.

Indra's gaze drifts from Itachi to Sasuke, then back again. He was no oblivious to the energy in the room, nor the disapproving or awe-filled looks given to his ward. But now, things were most certainly different, and it was time to make that know. And the moment he opened his mouth to speak, all talk ceased. "As you well know, we have had a human living within this court for over ten years now. No short span for a mortal being, but a mere blink of the eye to our kind. It may come as a surprise to some, and as a prophecy fulfilled to others. But tonight, I present my newly reborn heir, Itachi Uchiha."

Itachi stops eating and looks up, silent, but no longer invisible. He glances at his master, then out at the rest of the court. And, in a show of proof, he raises the glass of blood to his lips and takes a long, slow sip.

Pleased by the small display, Indra's eyes turn to Sasuke. "And here, newly found and also newly turned, is Sasuke Uchiha, whom I plan to make my second heir, that he will share equally in my power and fortunes as his elder brother."

Sasuke nods at Indra gratefully as he savors the blood in his own goblet. It seemed like the proper thing to do. Only, there was at least one person who wasn't feeling the least bit proper and his name was Hidan.

"LORD INDRA, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" He glares at Itachi and then at Sasuke. "You want two baby vampires to your heirs?"

Indra's eyes narrow, glowing a soft but vibrant red. "Yes, I am. The two of them are strong, intelligent, and talented. With time and training, they will be perfect vampires to take over vast territories." He folds his hands into his sleeves, looking down on Hidan. "They are perfectly suitable. Don't you agree?"

"They're a couple of brats who were lucky enough to be born of your line." Hidan's lips curl in disgust. "They're not worthy of the title, My Lord. Don't let sentimentality cloud your judgment."

"I seem to recall you saying something similar ten years ago when I first had Itachi brought to this castle." Indra remained unimpressed with Hidan's antics, as well as his big mouth. And, more than aware of what Itachi and Sasuke were planning, courtesy of Kakashi's spying habits, he knew precisely how dinner would be ending tonight. "But if you truly feel as though I am wrong. Then please, prove as much to me."

Itachi's gaze sharpens and he glances at Indra warily for a moment, before his eyes darken in understanding. And underneath the table, he fingers the sword at his hip.

"Fine. The brat got lucky last time." Hidan rears up as he stalks towards Itachi. "It won't happen again. No fancy tricks will save you this time."

Itachi rises to his feet, sword in hand as he stares down Hidan with glowing crimson eyes. "Then perhaps we should take this outside to the courtyard. That way your peers can watch as I finally shut that vile mouth of yours." It was a long time coming, and while normally, Itachi was not given to hurling insults, he would make a special exception for Hidan.

Hidan smirks as he heads to the courtyard with everyone else following suit. This time, he wouldn't lose. Never again would Itachi be so damn irritating. It was time to squash him like the annoying mosquito he was.

Indra had given him the perfect opportunity, and Itachi wasn't going to waste it. Whether this meant that his master knew of the plans and approved, or simply wanted Hidan out of the way, Itachi wasn't certain. But at the very least, he could remove one annoying eyesore from the court. And he was more than willing to do so.

He catches Indra's eye, and the proud light in them told him that he'd been found out. Interesting…but for now, only one thing mattered, and that was the arrogant vampire standing opposite him in the courtyard as the nobles and their respective entourages line the ramparts to watch the duel.

Itachi loosens his wrist and turns his sword over in his hand. "Come."

"Better say your prayers, baby vamp." Hidan smirks as he charges at Itachi without mercy. His body nothing more than a blur due to his sheer speed.

Itachi's eyes flash and he disappears from in front of Hidan, turning into a flock of crows that caw and screech and flap around Hidan's speeding form.

"What the hell?" Hidan hisses as he slashes into the crows with his scythe. "Fight like a fucking vampire and not a witch."

"Like a vampire, you say?" The crows fly about in swirls of darkness, colliding to bring Itachi forth from the darkness behind Hidan as he slashes his sword down across the other vampire's back. "Is THAT enough like a vampire for you?"

He hisses in pain as he whirls to face Itachi. "That's more like it!" His lips curl back in a snarl as he strikes Itachi with his fist.

A pale hand catches the strike easily, fending it off and twisting it around the hand holding the scythe. "You brought this on yourself, Hidan. I never picked a fight with you." Itachi hadn't ever done anything to wrong him, and yet Hidan had attacked him, not only at this feast, but when he was thirteen as well. If no one else was going to punish Hidan for his big mouth, then Itachi would take on that duty.

"You were just some human brat who got lucky with their ancestry. You never did anything to earn your place at his side." Hidan bares his fangs at Itachi as he lunges at him once more.

Itachi's eyes flare an ever brighter crimson as the air around them fills with fire, growing brighter and brighter until it explodes into a rain of fire and heat and light.

There was something magnificent about watching Itachi conjure fire. "Say what you will about him, he knows how to put on a show." Sasuke shakes his head as he watches Itachi extract justice.

"Yes, and it seems that this justice is a long time coming." Gaara could see the reasoning behind this. Now, when Itachi killed Hidan, the entire court would see it as the foul-mouthed vampire bringing it on himself by challenging Indra's heir.

Metallic clangs of sword on scythe waft from the billowing cloud of smoke, along with the scent of blood. Gaara's eyebrow rises as it slowly clears, a whirl of motion tossing one of the two combatants to the ground, an arm sliced off at the elbow and blood pooling underneath him from the wound.

Above him, stands a figure with long black hair, pulled free from its leather tie and smoking slightly. The long steel sword in his hand glimmers dully with blood in the flickering torchlight.

"BASTARD!" Hidan hisses in agony as he clutches at his mostly missing arm. Trying to stop the bleeding. It wasn't a fatal wound for a vampire, but if he lost enough blood, he'd be rendered immobile. Which in this case was the same thing. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

As the rabid vampire rises to his feet and makes to lunge at him again, Itachi moves like a blure of darkness, a shadow in the night. "No. You won't." Itachi's soft voice remains firm as he raises his sword and slices straight across, severing Hidan's head cleanly from his body, which drops heavily to the ground.

Itachi's eyes burn with a terrible fire within them, a fire that slowly spills from his eyes as bloody tears run down his cheeks. It was over, it was done. And now, Hidan would disappear forever, consumed by the flames of Amaterasu.

"Well, if that doesn't leave an impression, nothing well." Kisame grins as he watches the gory spectacle.

"Indeed." Gaara's eyes never leave the sight of Hidan's disintegrating body once as it burns into ash under the black flames. "I doubt that very many will be foolish enough to underestimate him again." The redhead looks to his beloved warily. "The expectations for you will rise as well, you know."

He smiles at Gaara as he intertwines their fingers. "I can handle it." He leans closer and whispers into his ear. "After all, I have you."

"Yes, you most certainly do." Gaara squeezes his beloved's hand reassuringly. "Are you ready for what you must do?"

"If Itachi can handle Hiden, I can handle Orochimaru." Sasuke smiles at him. "Honestly, I believe you're more worried than I."

"Hidan was a young, foul-mouthed vampire whose confidence far outweighed his skill." Gaara circles his arms around Sasuke as cheers begin going up for Itachi, celebrating his victory. Most of it was feigned, he knew that, but there was a certain satisfaction to be had in seeing the newborn taking on an established vampire like that. "And you are not engaging Orochimaru in a battle of blades or magic, but of wits. And that snake is not one to trifle with lightly."

Sasuke flashes his fangs. "Neither am I and if it was a battle of strength or politics, I'd be concerned." He rolls his eyes at the thought of Orochimaru. "The man will only be thinking with his shriveled up manhood though. So I have nothing to fear. I will be careful though because I know you're worried."

"Thank you." Though Gaara wished that he could go in Sasuke's place. But he knew for a fact that Orochimaru was less fond of redheads than the average vampire. And that would work against him if he were to make the attempt. But Orochimaru's fixation on Itachi might just work in Sasuke's favor. Too well, which was Gaara's worry. "If you run into any trouble with him, raise your voice and I will come."

"I know you will and that's just one of the many reasons why i love you." Sasuke smiles at him.

"And I, you." Gaara kisses Sasuke sweetly, taking note of Kisame disappearing down towards the courtyard. It seemed that there was just something about these Uchiha brothers that made even the most vicious and hardened of men become protective of them.

* * *

Kisame grins at Itachi. "Well, that bastard got what was coming to him. You were pretty flashy back there."

"It wasn't about being flashy." Though Itachi had certainly put on more of a show than was strictly warranted. Still, it had served its purpose. "But I will take it as a compliment, nonetheless."

"It was meant to be." He smirks as he kisses Itachi. "You were amazing. I mean you always are, but especially just now."

Itachi smiles as he kisses back, hidden from the perusal of the court by ducking into a side-passage in the west wall. "Yes, I do try my best." At least, he had since meeting Kisame. "We're half finished now. The opportunity had been too much to pass up."

Kisame nods as he deepens the kiss. "Half finished with taking out the trash, but I'm just getting started with you." Hmm. How far were their bedchambers again?

"Yes, I'm sure that you are." Itachi's hands travel up Kisame's strong arms, and he tosses his mane of silky hair back over his shoulder. "Is that a promise?"

"It's most definitely a promise." Kisame grins at him from ear to ear.

"Then I look forward to you following through on this promise of yours." Itachi always looked forward to Kisame making good on this particular promise. For now, though, he breaks the kiss and pushes on Kisame's chest, putting a little distance between their faces, if not their bodies. "But we will celebrate being rid of Hidan once Orochimaru is gone as well. I need you to be focused and waiting in the wings just in case Sasuke needs your help."

Kisame nods in understanding. "I won't let anything happen to your baby brother. I swear it." It would devastate Itachi.

"Thank you." Itachi knew better than to let his guard down in a court filled with vampires. The first trial was over. The harder of the two was yet to come. And Itachi felt almost sick in the knowledge that Sasuke was going to face that snake's perverse obsession alone. "We'll make a show of returning to our chambers before you take your leave. Sasuke will not wait long to act."

"I'm sure we can make a grand spectacle of the affair." He smirks at Itachi. "How much of a show did you wish to make?" He might as well have some fun before they dusted Orochimaru.

Itachi's cheeks flush a vivid, dignified scarlet as he reaches his arms back up around Kisame's neck. "As great a show as you believe my victory deserves."

"You want me to ravish you in the middle of the hallway?" He smirks more at that. "Well, if you insist."

An excited shiver runs down Itachi's back at the thought of allowing Kisame to have him where anyone could see. They'd never been caught in the middle of the act before, but Itachi couldn't deny that there was an excitement about the prospect. "Perhaps just short of ravishing me would be best. We wouldn't want to shock the ladies of the court too greatly."

"I think we can manage that." Kisame was pretty gleeful about this new allowance. It was really just a matter of time before Itachi got over the least shred of his human bashfulness.

Itachi rolls his eyes playfully and leans up to kiss his demon. "Besides, I think you would grow frighteningly jealous if anyone were to lay more than a glimpse on my exposed skin."

"As long as they knew you were mine, I think I could manage." He smirks as he kisses his lover heatedly.

Yes, perhaps they could both manage that much. But for now, Itachi was merely happy to drown in Kisame's kiss as they waited for the second movement of this symphony to begin.


	20. Chapter 20

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 20

After what seems like an eternity of planning, Sasuke sees his opportunity. During the wee hours of the morning, most of them were either winding down or waking up. In Orochimaru's case, Sasuke knew it was the former. So he takes advantage of that by walking past Orochimaru's chambers when no one else was around and punching the wall in 'frustration.'

Gifted with all of the enhanced senses of a vampire, this 'frustration' did not go unnoticed by the elder vampire within the lavish chambers. And right on cue, the snake-like vampire with skin as pale as bone steps out from his chambers, watching the newborn vampire curiously. A slight smile curls his purple lips. "Is there something wrong, young one?"

"Oh, it's you Lord Orochimaru." Sasuke sighs as if trying to compose himself. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I didn't think that anyone was in these halls."

Orochimaru's smile widens slightly. "As you can see, these doors lead to my chambers, and the smaller rooms belong to my entourage." A single wave of his hand summons six demons from the shadows. Two redheads, a set of twins, a man with silver hair, and one with far too many arms. Another wave of his hand sends them back into the shadows. "May I ask what is troubling you this evening?"

"My apologies." Sasuke shakes his head as he feigns embarrassment. "I didn't mean to wake you and I'm certain you have more important matters to concern yourself with than my personal issues."

"No apologies necessary. I simply did not expect to find a newborn outside in the hall in need of…counsel." His eyes flick very subtly over Sasuke's form. He was quite pleasing to the eye, just like his brother. His brother who had the audacity to burn away Orochimaru's clothes with Amaterasu. Were it not for the small amounts of magic he possessed, he would have been a dead man that day. "If you would like, you may share your troubles with me. I have lived many a century. Perhaps I will know a solution to whatever problem that…vexes you."

"The matter is embarrassing." Sasuke sighs as he crosses his arms. "I had thought that Gaara and I would become lovers, but he clearly has been bewitched by Itachi."

"I see." Orochimaru opens the door to his chambers. "Then perhaps you would prefer to speak in here? Matters of the heart can be of an embarrassing sort, and it would not do to make you the laughingstock of the court over something you cannot be expected to control."

He nods and heads into Orochimaru's bedchambers. "Thank you." Sasuke manages not to smirk, but manages. The snake was buying it.

"You're very welcome, Sasuke." Orochimaru places a hand slowly on the small of Sasuke's back and guides him deeper into his chambers, towards a dark red sofa positioned closely to the fireplace. "Now tell me, why is it that you think that your brother has bewitched your lover? Has something happened to make you question his loyalty?"

"It's the way that he's looked at Itachi since he became a vampire." Sasuke sighs as he looks away as though ashamed. "I know that Itachi has powerful magic. I've seen him use the Amaterasu, so I just thought maybe that was why. Gaara's never looked at another before."

"I see. Your brother is certainly talented…" Orochimaru motions to the couch and directs Sasuke to sit. "But I think that you fail to give yourself enough credit. I'm certain that your talents simply need the proper environment in order to bloom. You are younger than Itachi, and five years, as I understand it, can make quite a difference to humans. I'm certain that your magic will prove to be just as powerful."

"You're kind." Sasuke smiles at him. "Unfortunately, as the youngest I'm forever cursed to live in his shadow."

"Perhaps not. After all, now that the two of you are immortal, you have time aplenty to rise above him." Orochimaru smiles in return and moves his hand to Sasuke's shoulder. "You simply need the right teacher. Kakashi has been good for Itachi, but Indra's interest in Itachi's training is merely from a distance. I believe that you would benefit from a…hands-on approach to your education."

He nods at the other vampire. "Maybe you're right. Five years to a vampire is nothing in the grand scheme of things." Sasuke just needed the right moment. He was close. Orochimaru must have thought he was putty in his hands by now.

Orochimaru's fingers rise up to stroke at Sasuke's cheek. "And there is no need for you to pine away over a lover who cannot see your value. If Lord Sabaku cannot see your worth, I promise you that there will be many others that do. After all, as handsome as Itachi is, you are even more beautiful than he."

"You do flatter me and I fail to see why Itachi detests you so." Sasuke was lying through his teeth about all of it, especially Gaara. Well mostly, he had been jealous in the beginning, but the red head was definitely faithful.

"It is likely because he has lived half of his life as a human surrounded by vampires. It would only make sense for him to fear me. He feared nearly the entire court before Indra saw fit to end his suffering. His reactions to me may have been out of fear. But his new actions with Lord Sabaku may be his baser instincts coming to the surface. A pity, he could have made for an excellent player in the court, had he not decided to show his hand so early."

"What do you mean by that last part?" Sasuke doesn't have to feign curiosity this time. If Orochimaru saw a weakness, it might actually exist or be the product of the other vampire's arrogance. Either way, he had to know.

Orochimaru chuckles patronizingly. "It is rather simple. That Itachi is a newborn vampire will only put extra pressure and scrutiny onto him after his little display with Hidan. He has shown that he is willing to kill his enemies publicly. Yes, Hidan provoked him into a fight, but more than half the court is aware of their first unfortunate encounter. Now that he has shown that he is not above killing those who irritate him, he will be deemed dangerous. Dangerous, but young, vulnerable. And I am not the only one who knows this. It will only be a matter of time before someone decides it would be best to remove him from next to Indra, where he whispers in our Lord's ear."

They'd have to be suicidal, but as much as it annoyed Sasuke...Orochimaru was likely right. "I see. Your words do have merit." He'd deal with it later. "Are you thirsty, I do have a bottle of bloodwine on me. I know it seems childish, but I thought I'd drown my sorrows with it and since you're here, perhaps you'd like to share some with me?" It wasn't just bloodwine though. If he could get Orochimaru to take even one sip, the poison would act as a paralyzing agent. It wouldn't stop him, but it'd likely slow him down enough to make the difference for Sasuke to get that killing blow in.

Orochimaru glances at the bottle produced by Sasuke and smiles with amusement. "Have you been breaking into Lord Indra's wine cellar?"

"I didn't have to." Sasuke shrugs at Orochimaru. "Itachi might be his favorite thus far, but he looks upon me kindly as well."

"Indeed." Orochimaru stands and traverses the room, fetching a pair of crystal glasses from a lavish cabinet. "You should be sure to take advantage of such a thing. Every newborn should have an…experienced mentor. And though Indra's guardianship will provide you with many benefits, perhaps you should try not to limit your options. Otherwise your potential would sadly be wasted. And neither of us would like to see that happen." He strides back to the sofa and places a glass before Sasuke. "Don't you agree?"

He takes the glass and nods. "You're right. That would be a shame." Perhaps Orochimaru was smart enough to be wary of poison and wanted Sasuke to drink sure to prove it was safe. If that was the case, Sasuke couldn't fault the strategy. Though it wouldn't work. He'd built up an immunity to this one as Temari had tried her best to help him bolster such things. After all, Kankuro had nearly been killed once by this very poison. "You sound like you have someone in mind? A recommendation perhaps?" He takes a large gulp of his bloodwine while waiting for Orochimaru's answer.

"Well, for ease of access, I would have recommended Kakashi. He is quite talented, and taught your brother a great many things. But he seems to have his hands quite full with your brother already." Orochimaru pours himself a drink and swirls the wine about, letting it kiss the air for the first time in…perhaps three centuries. "If you were willing to take another castle as your home, I'm sure that you would find many lords and ladies willing to open their homes to one of Lord Indra's favorites."

Orochimaru looks the newborn up and down, scrutinizing him once more. "However…there are few who could train you as I can. I have studied human magic more than any other in the court, and I have conducted enlightening tests with many a power. I believe that you could benefit greatly from my knowledge, if you cared to use it."

"I would have to speak to Temari about the matter, but I'd be lying, if I said I wasn't intrigued about the possibilities." He takes another gulp of his bloodwine, deciding it was best not to tell Orochimaru the only possibilities he was considering were how to kill him.

The elder vampire places the crystal goblet to his lips and sips at the aged wine. "You picked an excellent year, Sasuke. Did you pick it for its quality, or are you not yet versed in such things?"

"A little of both." He nods at Orochimaru. "My Sire is beginning to teach me about the finer things in life such as what makes a good wine and a not so good one." That part was true anyway.

"Good, but you know that there is far more to the finer things in life than just good wine." Orochimaru places his half emptied goblet on the small table beside the sofa, then turns to face Sasuke. "There are many things that I could teach to you. How better to fight, forms of magic that you've never dreamed of." He leans towards Sasuke, a purple tongue flicking out to lick matching lips. "And there is certainly much I can teach you that you would never have learned in your brief affair with Lord Sabaku." That purple tongue flicks along the shell of Sasuke's ear. "Including…how to properly pick your target when you wish to poison someone."

Sasuke was torn betewen shock and revulsion, but thankfully his instincts win out. "I don't know about that last part." He slams his fist into Orochimaru. "I think I chose my target just fine." He just needed to rip out his heart, stake him, or decapitate him. Though he was right, magic would be useful in this circumstance. Sasuke summons fire in his hand and hurls it at Orochimaru's eyes. He'd blind the bastard.

The first fist barely makes contact as Orochimaru takes Sasuke's wrists firmly in his grasp. The ball of fire flies past the elder vampire's head as he pushes Sasuke down onto his back on the sofa. "Careful, Sasuke. If you try to reach for more than you can take, you'll simply find yourself overtaken."

"That'd be good advice, if I had overplayed my hand." He conjures fire and lightning to surround his body, a beautiful glow of red, orange, blue, violet, and white. It was also designed to burn that fucker off of him.

Orochimaru looses an unearthly scream as he releases Sasuke, his fingers already blistered from the heat of the magical flames. "Little demon!"

"I'm not little, but I suppose most would consider vampires demons." He shrugs as he charges towards Orochimaru with his fist blazing. "I wonder what color your heart will be? Will it be black like your soul?" His intention to rip out the other vampire's heart.

The elder vampire's throat constricts, undulating over and over as he expels a sword and dodges the attempt at his assassination. The skin on his hands had already begun to heal. "Marvelous control…you would make for a wonderful experimental subject." The sword slashes through the air towards the younger vampire, very nearly connecting with his neck.

"That's...a useful trick." Sasuke manages to dodge. "Disgusting, but useful." Alright. Orochimaru was physically stronger and likely faster due to his age, but he might have at least one advantage. "I have one too." He'd seen Itachi do this as a child and had spent countless hours privately practicing it. Sasuke forms another version of himself and then another and another until there were four of him and one Orochimaru. "Try to dodge now." They all charge at him, fireballs, lighting strikes, sword strikes, fists, and fangs blazing.

Orochimaru spins in a rapid circle, fending off three blades and one flame-coated fist in an instant. "Very good, it seems that you have even more talent than I gave you credit for."

He frowns. That should have worked, but maybe. "I suppose you must have pissed al ot of people off to be so casual about an assassination attempt." One of them blows out the torch light. "Only I'm going to succeed where the others failed." For a vampire with Orochimaru's senses, it wouldn't diminish him much, but the shock might help Sasuke. With that in mind, they all hurl fireballs at him. The only difference was this time there was a weapon hidden in each fireball.

Dodging each fireball as they come, Orochimaru slithers back into the darkness, moving about the room to come up behind Sasuke. "Such a spirited boy you are." He grabs Sasuke by the throat and whirls him around, slamming the younger vampire against the closest wall.

"Fuck." He hisses in pain as he collides with he wall. It was far from a fatal hit, but it leaves him feeling a little dazed as he stands up and coughs up some blood.

Orochimaru's hand returns to Sasuke's throat, holding him there tightly against the wall. "Surrender now, and I think that I will take you as my apprentice after all. Your first lesson will be how to concoct poisons that will work even on those immune to them."

"Uchihas don't surrender, but I'll be sure to study up on posions later." He slams his foot into Orochimaru's crotch. "Thanks for the advice. I'm sure that they'll appreciate your teaching credentials in hell." He snarls as Orochimaru falls back in pain from the kick and slams his fist into the other man's chest, ripping his heart out. "Bastard."

Blood spurts from the wound and Orochimaru's skin begins turning an ashen gray as his lifeless corpse collapses to the floor. The sword clatters across the floor with an angry scraping, upending the table by the sofa and shattering the glass as it too falls to the floor.

"Well, that was harder than I thought." Sasuke could swear the room was spinning. The blow from Orochimaru and using that much magic must be getting to him.

"Sasuke!" A flash of red darts into the room and two strong arms wrap around Sasuke's waist and shoulders, holding him upright.

"Gaara, you smell so good." He sinks his fangs into the red head's neck, eager to replenish the energy he lost during the fight.

A little disheveled and smelling of blood, Gaara runs his fingers through Sasuke's hair and gently pries the blackened heart from his beloved's hand as he encourages Sasuke to drink. "It's alright. I'm here. You're safe. That snake can never hurt you again."

He smiles as he tears himself away from Gaara's neck before giving it an apologetic lick. "It's alright. I did it. He managed to throw me against the wall, but other than that I'm no worse for wear." He glances at the heart. "He's gone."

"Yes, he's gone." Gaara tosses the heart away and flicks the blood from his fingers. "Come, we shouldn't linger here long. His guards are dead, and I'm certain that the castle staff will soon discover the bodies and Orochimaru's corpse."

"Yes, you're right." Sasuke allows Gaara to lead them off, still in a bit of a daze.

"And Sasuke…" Gaara tugs his beloved from the dead vampire's chambers and shuts the door behind them before escorting Sasuke down the hall. He holds Sasuke close to him, keeping his voice low and soft. "I may understand some of what Itachi has suffered, but never forget that it is you that I've fallen in love with. Not him."

Sasuke winces a bit at that. "How much did you overhear?" Apparently, enough. "I just said that because it was the easiest way to get him to trust me."

"I know." That didn't mean that it didn't hurt. And Gaara knew that there was a kernal of truth in it. "But I do love you. Never doubt that."

"I don't doubt that." Maybe, he had for a time. "It's not...your fault. You never failed me." The reverse wasn't true though. "I was just reacting like a child afraid of losing their most precious toy. " He kisses him. "It won't happen again."

"Good." Gaara deepens the kiss and holds Sasuke gently in his arms. "Now let's get you cleaned up and go to bed. I'm certain that Indra will be wanting to have words with you tonight."

"Do you think he'd mind, if I just spent the next century with you inside this room and forget about everything else?" Sasuke yawns. "I feel like that's how long I'll sleep."

"We could certainly spend the next century inside our rooms." Gaara opens the door for his beloved, ushers Sasuke inside, and closes the both of them in. "But I wouldn't count on sleeping the whole century away." A smirk curls the redhead's lips. "I have far more planned for you than that."

"Promises, promises." Sasuke smirks.

Gaara plants a heated kiss on Sasuke's lips. "Promises indeed."

* * *

Kakashi slips into his master's chambers once more, a smile playing about his lips as he strides silently into the room to greet his lounging master. "I've done as you asked, Lord Indra. It was rather impressive to watch." He'd had an inkling of what Sasuke was planning to do, but he had to admit that Sasuke had surprised even him.

"Tell me the details." He tilts his head. "How was Orochmaru slain." Of course, he was exceptionally proud of his line. He just didn't expect Sasuke to slay Orochimaru on his own.

"Sasuke played Orochimaru into inviting him into the privacy of his chambers. Lord Gaara remained outside and silently dealt with the demons that Orochimaru keeps in his employ." It was quite the coordinated effort, from what Kakashi could discern. Which was all of it. "Sasuke allowed Orochimaru to believe that he was seducing Sasuke, all the while plotting to have Orochimaru drink poisoned bloodwine in order to gain the upper hand. But, as you know, Orochimaru's experiments have given him a strong immunity to a wide variety of poisons."

Indra nods approvingly. It was not the most dignified way to kill someone, but considering the power gap, Sasuke was wise to employ it. "Those were all wise decisions on his part, but we both know about Orochimaru's immunity." He frowns in thought. "What happened next?"

"Sasuke tried to attack, but was subdued. So he made use of his human magics and cloaked himself in flames and thunder in order to force Orochimaru away. The two fought a brief scuffle and Sasuke showed exceptional mastery of replication magic. Orochimaru subdued him again, but Sasuke…" Kakashi shifts uncomfortably, recalling the blow with extremely precise detail. "He struck at Orochimaru's…manhood with his foot and proceeded to use the painful distraction to cloak his hand in lightning and rip out Orochimaru's heart."

Indra blinks at that. "Well, I suppose if all else fails, there is always that move." He shivers as he imagines what that would be like. To be kicked there. "I have to say that his survival instincts are impeccable and he does show some impressive signs of sadism..."

"Yes, and then he and his lover proceeded to return to their chambers." Kakashi smiles at the memory of what he witnessed. "It seems that Lord Gaara cares for him a great deal. Especially for one of our kind. We are known for being rather capricious."

"Well, I'm glad they both found someone dear to them so early on." Indra smiles at this as if it was perfectly logical for baby vampires to fall in love at first bite. "That sort of thing makes eternity worth living."

"Yes. I've been worried about Itachi for many years now." And Kakashi had been especially worried since…the incident. "Lord Indra…about when Itachi was fifteen…"

"Yes, Kakashi, I know." He didn't wish to speak on it. "I wouldn't remain Lord very long, if I was unaware what happened in my household."

So, it was not the secret that Kakashi had hoped it was. "…He has Kisame now. And perhaps, when he is in complete control of his bloodlust, you might allow him to go and visit with his family for a few days, if they are amenable to it?"

"I see no reason not to allow it." Indra shrugs as though Kakashi was asking for some mild favor. "He's a vampire now. They brought him into this world, but he is my heir. No longer can they take him from me as they could when he was a human."

"Yes, of course." That much was obvious, and the situation had changed even more than simply that. Kakashi knew well that Indra's position was secure, particularly with the addition of a second heir to his holdings. "And now you also have Sasuke, his younger brother. Your line is secure."

"Yes, it is." He raises an eyebrow. "I'm not entirely sure if I should be concerned by the moderate hint of desperation in your voice. Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Kakashi keeps his head bowed, not flinching in the least. "Only what I have already said. For Itachi's sake, and for Sasuke's as well. They are young, newly turned, and as humans, their family was important to them. All I wish is to see the bridge rebuilt, even if they will never rejoin them permanently. It will do them both good."

"So you were babbling out of disbelief and a sense of nervousness." Indra nods as he processes this thought. "I suppose I should have expected as much. You have always been close to Itachi."

The observation was more accurate then Kakashi would care to admit. "I have raised him like my own for ten years. He is kind and gentle and intelligent. It would be impossible not to grow fond of him. And that is why I make this request."

Indra sighs. Itachi was the closest thing to a son that he had and well, it was quite painful to hear Kakashi speak this way. "I'll state this plainly. Itachi and Sasuke may visit their human family members whenever the whim strikes them." It was good that Itachi had another who cared for him of course, but well Indra knew the truth. Despite his best efforts, Itachi had all but rejected the world he handed to him. It was only after Kisame's appearance that his eldest heir had begun to accept his role and that he wouldn't be a human forever. To truly accept it anyway.

Perhaps he could have handled the selection process with more care, but the end result had worked out in everyone's favor. Had it not? So why did he feel such melancholy?

"Was there anything else you needed to discuss?" Probably because he quite simply hadn't been enough. At the end of the day, Itachi missed his human family and now, he would have them back in his life to some extent and his younger brother had joined the court as well.

Both were worthy heirs to be sure. Besides, he tries to stave off his guilt with more pleasant thoughts...Orochimaru was gone and that bastard had been a thorn in his side for what felt like an eternity. So that was certainly worthy of celebration.

Kakashi bows deeply to his master. "I will inform them at the midday meal, should they emerge from their chambers with their lovers before then."

"I imagine that will not be the case, but inform them at your leisure." Indra shrugs, trying to feign casualness.

"Of course, my Lord." Kakashi steps back, retreating from the room. As usual, he would play the messenger. And there would be more than a mere two messages to deliver in the days ahead.

Indra watches as he goes. Either Kakashi hadn't noticed his dour mood or he hadn't commented on it. He wasn't really sure which option was the least appealing, but did it matter? Not really. Well at least his descendants were happy in their lovers' arms and he didn't have to deal with Orochimaru or Hidan anymore. Two annoying insects had been squashed. He should count his blessings.


	21. Chapter 21

Thicker Than Water

 **celestia193's Author's Note** : We are finally delving into the world of (at least intended) mpreg. We also have a teasing Indra, frisky Kisame, and peacocking Gaara. Enjoy!

Chapter 21

It was strange, but Itachi couldn't help smiling at his foolish little brother from where he lounged on the sofa in their sitting room. Years ago, it would have made him shudder to his core to think that Sasuke could kill someone, despite the warrior that he'd always known Sasuke would grow up to become.

But today, he couldn't find it in him to admonish his little brother. If anything, he was proud of Sasuke's accomplishment. And the tiny smirk on his face said as much. "I heard a rumor being passed amongst the maids this morning that Orochimaru and his bodyguards were found dead in his chambers. Apparently, there was a fight between them, and not a soul survived."

"Oh well you know how the maids love to talk." Sasuke feigns disinterest. He had grown much better at that sort of thing as of late. "One of them probably had a nightmare or something."

"Yes, I'm sure. And I am equally sure that he will be greatly missed by the court." Itachi chuckles softly at his little brother's dodge. "You did well, Sasuke. I'm proud of you."

"I told you that I could do it." Sasuke couldn't help, but smirk.

"Yes, you certainly did." And perhaps Itachi was foolish to have doubted his little brother. "You've grown…even more than I expected." His gaze slides over Sasuke critically. "Are you alright? That is not a battle that I would ever hope to emerge from unscathed."

"Nothing of consequence." Sasuke rolls his eyes at the thought of Orochimaru. "He was nothing more than an overgrown mosquito." Like Hell was he going to mention any of his injuries to Itachi, besides they would be gone soon enough.

"Of course." Though the slight bruising that Itachi spied peeking out from Sasuke's collar said otherwise. "I am glad that there was no permanent damage." Itachi hums softly, watching his foolish little brother fondly. "…I am sorry that I underestimated your ability to handle this problem for me."

"It's alright. I'm sure that you've learned a valuable lesson from this experience and really that is on the bottom of the list for things we needed to address anyway." He shakes his head as he look at Itachi. "I'm sorry for being foolish enough to believe what you said that day."

Itachi sighs and allows his fingers to play with the ends of his hair to distract himself a little. "You were meant to believe me, Sasuke. You did nothing wrong, you merely believed what you were meant to. And you took actions that you believed befitted that knowledge." Of course, there was the issue of him becoming a vampire. But knowing that Sasuke had Gaara now, Itachi would not begrudge Sasuke his choice.

"I still should have known better. No one changes the core of their being that quickly." Sasuke shakes his head.

Sasuke's point was valid and Itachi had no way to refute it. "I do wonder now…if perhaps I should have distanced myself sooner, or allowed Kakashi to take you with me. I will always be riddled with the many possibilities of how I might have done things differently." Itachi's gazes finds Sasuke's one more, this time appearing quite contrite. "I truly am sorry for what I've done to you. And know that not once did I ever stop caring for your well-being, even if I couldn't see you again."

Sasuke sighs as he pokes Itachi's forehead for a change. "You've punished yourself enough and we're vampires now." He pauses for dramatic effect. "In the grand scheme of things, ten years is nothing to us."

Itachi's eyes widen slightly at the familiar gesture, the one he used so often to annoy Sasuke into making that endearing expression. His gaze softens and he smiles as he slowly pulls Sasuke into his arms and properly embraces his little brother for the first time in years. "Yes, in the grand scheme of things, ten years is nothing." Ten years was nothing, and Itachi's heart was healing.

"Mhm. So no more of that fretting. Kisame will kill me if he thinks I upset you." He scoffs at the thought of the shark in a fond way.

"No, he will not." Itachi chuckles as he loosens his hold on his little brother, his dark eyes twinkling with promise. "If he even entertains the thought, I will make it clear to him in no uncertain terms that he will NOT be welcome in my bed any longer, and that he WILL find himself missing certain crucial parts of his manhood."

"Wow." Sasuke blinks at that. "You're a little scary sometimes."

"I am a vampire, Sasuke." Itachi thought that much was rather obvious. "I am entitled to use whatever measures I see fit, no matter how drastic they might be. Can you tell me that there is nothing in this world that you would threaten your own lover's manhood for?"

"No. Not really, I quite like it attached." Sasuke nods vigorously.

Itachi rolls his eyes and presses a kiss to Sasuke's forehead. "Of course…I prefer Kisame's manhood attached as well." But there was nothing he wouldn't do for Sasuke. "Besides, it is merely a threat. And an effective one."

"Yes, I could see it being an effective threat." Sasuke mulls the possibility over.

"Very effective, though I would caution against using it too often." Kakashi can't help but wince as he saunters into the sitting room. The room might be soundproof to the outside, thanks to Itachi's illusion magic, but when one was standing right in the doorway…it was astonishing what sorts of things one could hear. "Good afternoon Itachi, Sasuke." He bows to the two young lords before him.

Itachi looks over his shoulder at his mentor and surrogate father-figure. "Hello Kakashi."

"I still don't like you." Sasuke gives Kakashi a dirty look. "What do you want?"

Itachi raises an eyebrow at his little brother's outburst. "Sasuke? Care to share what happened between you and Kakashi?" He'd gotten hints of Sasuke's animosity towards the elder vampire, but couldn't quite place where it came from. Certainly, Kakashi had never stepped out of line in front of Itachi. Then again, there was a great deal that did not happen in front of Itachi…

"He tried to shame me into feeling sorry for you." Sasuke glowers at Kakashi. "Even if he didn't lie, he's a manipulative bastard."

"I see…" Itachi's eyes narrow on his teacher. "Care to explain yourself?"

Kakashi shrugs. "I just thought that he needed a different perspective. A more…accurate one than the one he once held."

Itachi's heart drops like a cold stone into the pit of his stomach. That was not what he'd wanted to hear. "…Sasuke, do I want to know what he told you?"

"No, I don't believe so." Sasuke shakes his head as he stands up. "I think I'm going to go check on Gaara."

"Lord Indra would like to see the both of you tonight." Kakashi heads Sasuke off, scarlet eyes fixed on both young vampires. "At dinner. Apparently, the two of you have been quite busy, and he would like to hear about it."

"We'll be there." Sasuke issues his best death glare at the older vampire. "Though if you're curious you can ask Lord Orochimaru about our latest exploits." That should silence Kakashi quite nicely.

"Sasuke…there is no need for you to threaten Kakashi in such a way." It had been a long time since Itachi truly chided Sasuke, but he felt it appropriate to do it now, rather than later. "As it is my secrets he has decided to part with, I will be sure to deal with him."

"I wasn't threatening him." Sasuke smiles 'innocently' at Itachi. "I was merely making a suggestion, but as you said it concerns you more than I. So deal with it in the manner you see fit."

"I certainly shall." Clearly, Itachi would need to teach Kakashi a thing or two about respecting the privacy of others. And impossible task, perhaps, but not one that he would take lightly.

Kakashi coughs suggestively and back up towards the door of the sitting room. "I will inform Lord Indra of your attendance tonight."

"Please do." Itachi glares slightly until the moment Kakashi disappears from sight. "…I'm sorry that you were subjected to that, Sasuke. Kakashi has always enjoyed playing head games. Usually, however, they are relatively harmless."

"It's fine. As you said, they were your secrets." He looks at Itachi reassuringly.

"Yes…and I trust that you will keep them for me?" they were still newly on good terms, and Itachi was hesitant to demand anything of Sasuke.

"You shouldn't have to ask that, but I will." Sasuke eyes Itachi warily. "I know the truth now and besides, it's not as though you don't have things you can use against me. It's not to my benefit to spill that sort of information to the Court."

"I could use them, but I think you know me well enough to know that I wouldn't." Itachi may have changed in the intervening years, but he had not deceived Sasuke since he first arrived here. And that sort of vengeance wasn't in him. "But I suppose what is more important now is that it is likely Lord Indra knows exactly why it was Hidan and Orochimaru who perished."

"He's not going to punish us for that." Sasuke shrugs gracefully, feeling rather unconcerned. "If anything, he might thank us. Perhaps chide us on being reckless, but I highly doubt it'd be more than that."

"I am inclined to agree." Itachi knew for a fact that Indra loathed several members of his court, but tolerated them merely because they were useful in some way. If they could be killed so easily by his heirs, then it would mean that their usefulness had come to an end. "However, if he suggests that perhaps we continue to remove his annoyances, tread very carefully. There are more than a few members of the court who would rip your heart from your chest without hesitation."

"You're worried he might wish for us to become his assassins?" Sasuke blinks at that. He hadn't foreseen that possibility.

Itachi hadn't quite meant it like that, but in effect, it would be the same thing. "Not exactly. But he might encourage us to facilitate our own rise to power through the elimination of those who already hold it. Vampires respect and fear power. Many are ordinary vampires. But our line's blood flows with magical prowess. To some, that would be an asset, to others, a threat."

Sasuke pauses as he considers that. "You're right." It was fine though. Between his own strength, Itachi's, their lovers, and Indra, Sasuke almost pitied anyone foolish enough to make a move against them. OF course, some caution would be necessary. It wasn't always the strongest vampire that won the war.

"Yes, use caution, Sasuke." Itachi smiles and rises to his feet. "After all, we are still very young. We have time. Time in which to grow and prove ourselves."

"Yes, we do. We do need to work on your confidence though." Sasuke rolls his eyes. "You'd think a vampire who can create Amaterasu and tamed a shark demon would be more...well, less skittish."

Itachi's eyes darken slightly and he looks over his shoulder at his foolish, innocent little brother. "You have not yet seen the true darkness of this place, Sasuke. And I hope that you never will." He says nothing more on the subject of his confidence. Such a topic could wait for another day. "Dinner is waiting." And he needed to make himself presentable.

* * *

It was odd. The young vampire had come to realize that he had never truly known the challenges of getting oneself dressed until he'd found himself with a shark for a lover. Now, preparing to arrive for something as simple as dinner was made into an hours-long challenge.

As such, Itachi huffs softly and rolls his eyes as he runs the brush once more through his long raven locks. His fingers go to work quickly and put the two braids up for the fifth time, tying them together at the back of his head. "You know, I am trying to make myself look presentable, Kisame. Not as though I have just been ravished by my lover." And was his lover ever intent on making him look utterly scandalous before the court. "I know that you prefer my hair down, so I have compromised. So please stop pulling it down until after the feast." Then his demon lover could pull on it all he liked.

"You're as cute as an angry kitten, Dolphin." Kisame couldn't help, but laugh at the other man's exasperation. "Alright though. IF it's that important to you, I'll try to keep my hands mostly to myself. Though you can't tell me you didn't enjoy me messing your hair up in the first place."

The vampire's lips curve up slightly. "I did, however that is hardly the point. I must 'look pretty' for the court, as you so delicately put it." Itachi adjusts his collar to hide the numerous lovebites decorating his pale skin. He leans back in his chair and reaches up to pull his lover down for a chaste kiss. But his voice fills itself with dark promises. "I promise that I will allow you to mess it up again as much as you like later."

"Deal." Kisame smirks as he returns the kiss. "So what's the game plan for everything? I know you've gotta have one or is looking pretty the plan? I mean I can't blame you if it is. "

Itachi smirks and leans back in his comfortable armchair. "It is part of it. After all, vampires do value appearances greatly, and Orochimaru's fixation on mine was ultimately his downfall. Now that Orochiamru is dead, the balance of power is shifting, and with Hidan's very public demise, certain members of the court are likely to begin shifting their loyalties and making new alliances." Alliances that could prove either beneficial or dangerous.

"By observing these patterns and watching who approaches myself and Sasuke, it will become clear which way the wind is blowing. And by only hinting at mine or Sasuke's involvement in Orochimaru's death, our opponents and our potential allies will make themselves known. Indra has publicly claimed us as his heirs, which means that we will now have to fight and prove ourselves in court politics. Indra's own reputation might protect us, but it will not gain either of us the respect it will take to fulfill Indra's plans for us." And so, Itachi would sway what other vampire lords and ladies that he could. Once he had his allies, he could better protect both his brother and his lover from unpleasant entanglements.

"The politics thing kinda makes my head hurt. Let me know who you want me to kill." Kisame smiles at Itachi as he caresses his cheek.

"Of course, provided that Sasuke or I lleave them alive long enough for you to find." That was the immediate plan, though. The long term plan was rather simple in comparison. "As our positions in the court become more secure and there are no opponents left who would openly challenge us…" Itachi looks up to his lover and smiles, placing his hand on his stomach. "I think that it would be rather nice to research magic that might help me in giving you things that normally a vampire could not."

Kisame's brow furrow with confusion. "What do you mean give me things a vampire normally couldn't?"

"Pups." Itachi runs slender fingers along Kisame's arm and brings the demon's large blue hand to his leather-covered stomach. "That is what your kind calls your children, isn't it? Magic is powerful and versatile. And with my own magic reserves, there may be a spell that could allow me to bear your children."

He blinks. Honestly, the thought had never really occurred to him. "Yes, we call them pups." Both because Itachi was a vampire, but also because he was obviously male. "I mean don't get me wrong, I'm sure they would be cute things and all, but is that safe for you?"

Itachi laughs softly. "I am quite certain that I would be fine, if it does prove to be possible. After all, what could it do to me now? I am no longer alive, so to speak."

"Well yeah, but even if it doesn't hurt you...what about the pup? I mean like you said, you're not technically alive." How were they going to grow? Where were they going to grow? Itachi didn't have a womb!

Never in his life had Itachi expected to theorize on magical pregnancy with his lover. Or…any lover. "I would guess that it would involve a magical sac, as I am not female and do not have a place for the pups to grow. And even if I were female, there would be no guarantee that such an organ would continue to function, even with magic. Therefore, a magical substitute that draws power from my own reserved of magic seems most likely to work. Most vampires are not initially gifted in such a way, but as I was gifted with powerful magic as a human before being turned, I have an advantage that most others would not."

He smiles and kisses him. "Itachi, I'd love to have pups with you. I just want to make sure it's safe is all. I can't lose you and I don't want to lose them either."

Dark eyes soften and Itachi stands gracefully, letting the locks he had finished with slip over his shoulder and across his back. He raises his arms to circle them around Kisame's neck and pulls his demon into a loving kiss. "I survived my turning and am no longer human. You will not lose me. Not to age, or sickness, or poison. And so long as I have you, I will not succumb in any battle."

"I love you. I just hope you're right about that." He returns the kiss, cursing the fact they had to go to dinner. "This has been on your mind for awhile, I take it?" Itachi had put too much thought into this for it to have been a whim.

Itachi nods. "You once said, when I was mourning the impending loss of my humanity, that your kind only ever mourned the loss of a mate or your pups. After the night we first became lovers, it occurred to me a few times that…you have one of those things now, but not the other. You have a mate to cherish, but no pups. I have thus been contemplating how I might resolve the absence of something that you would cherish as much as you do me."

"You're incredible. You know that right?" Kisame caresses his cheek as he searches Itachi's eyes, trying to figure out which emotion or emotions had driven this decision more. Guilt or the desire to have children in general. "I'm not missing anything though. I have you. Yes, I would love pups, but I don't want you to think you've disappointed me somehow because you haven't. You've only ever surpassed my expectations."

"Thank you." As always, Kisame was generous in his praise and affection. Itachi could bask in it for the rest of eternity. But this was a path he had decided on. "Your kind cares only for your mate and pups, and I would not deny you the chance to have pups if I knew a way to have them. You saved me from my darkness and gave me a future to look forward to. It was also one of the many things that I had given up on when I came to this place. I knew that vampires sired themselves 'children' when they desired, but had none of their own. And you showed me that perhaps I did not have to give up everything that I had hoped for before coming here."

Itachi's eyes shimmer red with emotion and cool determination. "If it does prove to be possible, then yes, I want to have your pups. I want to make a family with you."

"You know, you're doing an awful job of trying to convince me not to ravish you again before we head to dinner." Kisame chuckles as he kisses his forehead.

The young vampire groans unhappily. "Kisame, you have ravished me FOUR times since I returned from my time with Sasuke." Could Kisame not give him an hour or so to recover after such treatment?

"It's not my fault your irresistible." He laughs as he leads Itachi into the hallway. "Alright. Alright. Let's go make nice with everyone."

Itachi huffs quietly, but a trace of amusement warms his gaze. "And try not to kill anyone until I know precisely who it is that needs to be removed first. And preferably not during any mealtime mealtime." There was nothing more irritating than having one's appetite ruined with a murder at breakfast.

"Alright. I can always wait and kill them after dinner." He winks.

"If Sasuke doesn't get to them first." Itachi shakes his head. At this rate, he was liable to witness a race between his lover and his brother to see which of them could take out their opponents the quickest. That was NOT how he'd expected to start dinner.

* * *

Itachi strides gracefully into the hall with Kisame at his side. He could feel all of the eyes on him as he glides towards the head table to join his Sire. And unsurprisingly, Sasuke was, as of yet, absent. Itachi needed only a single guess to know what was keeping his foolish little brother from arriving on time to dinner.

"Lord Indra." Itachi bows slightly as he approaches the head table.

The elder vampire smiles at him and nods. "Itachi. You and your intended may sit." His eyes glance around the court in a casual manner, but a trained eye would know what Indra was doing. He was mentally cataloging everyone's' reaction to Itachi and Kisame's arrival.

Itachi smiles at his Sire, then turns it back on his mate as he slips around the end of the table and takes his seat to Indra's right. This time, there was a place set to his own right for Kisame, a statement in and of itself. And to his satisfaction, he saw a number of wary glances being shot his way, as well as several gazes filled with admiration. One corner in particular appeared less full than usual, and those of Orochimaru's allies who remained had clued into Itachi being involved in some way in Orochimaru's death.

Kisame takes his seat and grins. "Well, this all looks pretty fucking fantastic." He looks at the food. "They've even got sushi this time."

"Yes, so they do." Itachi watches with amusement as Kisame unashamedly digs into the fishy dishes. Did that count as cannibalism or merely the natural order of things? Itachi wasn't certain, but he chose not to ponder it much. Not when the sight of his little brother finally trailing in with his own lover proved to be more than a little entertaining. By the state of those messy, spiky locks, Sasuke had not had Itachi's success in preventing his lover from ravishing him before dinner. He smirks at the sight of his little brother's disheveled state.

Sasuke quickly averts his gaze, trying to hide his slightly pink cheeks. Itachi knew. He'd never let him live it down.

Gaara, on the other hand, strides forward completely unabashed, and even a little smug as he places a hand against the small of Sasuke's back. He guides his young lover towards the head table, where two more places were set out on Indra's left. "Lord Indra." If Sasuke was too embarrassed to observe courtesies, he would do it for the both of them.

"Gaara, Sasuke." Indra nods, hiding his amusement at the whole spectacle. It was likely only dumb luck that explained why it was Sasuke and not Itachi observing his shoes so closely.

"Come, Sasuke." Gaara guides Sasuke into the seat next to Indra and makes sure to press a kiss just under the curve of Sasuke's jaw. The entire court would know precisely what their relationship was by the end of the night, he would be sure of that.

Sasuke could only pray that he wasn't actually blushing as he sits down. "Apologies for being late..." Fuck. It didn't take a genius to realize what had just happened.

"It's fine. There is no need to apologize for enjoying yourself here, Sasuke." And it appeared to Indra's eyes that both of his young heirs were enjoying themselves greatly with their respective lovers.

Gaara's smug expression only grows as he fills his plate from a number of rather delicious-looking dishes. "Yes, I believe that Sasuke has certainly enjoyed himself this evening."

"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Indra." Sasuke was so going to make Gaara pay for this later.

Itachi hums with amusement on Indra's other side and leans over to sit closer to Kisame. "Perhaps I am not the only one for whom I should be doing my magical research."

"Don't say anything to them." Kisame shakes his head quickly. "Their pups would burn the place to the ground. You know what they say about red heads."

"Oh?" Itachi raises an eyebrow curiously. "What DO they say about redheads?"

"They're wild and have one hell of a temper. I wouldn't want to deal with one in the middle of their Terrible Twos." He smiles at Itachi. "I much prefer my dark dolphin."

"Hn. Good." They would have had to have words if Itachi discovered otherwise. "After all, I believe that dyeing my hair red with blood might be in bad taste."

"Very poor taste and it would be a shame to burn a bridge with Sasuke after you've reconciled." He chuckles as he nuzzles his lover. "Your jealousy is erotic though."

"Hmph." Itachi spears a piece of roasted boar with his fork and gracefully devours it. "I take it that there is very little that I do that you don't find erotic, Kisame."

"Mostly when it comes to you." He snorts at his lover's feigned annoyance. "You should try looking in a mirror sometime."

"And if I did, what would I find?" Perhaps he felt like indulging his vanity in front of a crowded room, or perhaps he merely needed to assure himself that Kisame's attentions were on him and only him, but Itachi couldn't stop himself from running his mouth a little.

"If you looked, you'd see why I can keep my hands off of you. You're the most beautiful being that I've ever seen." He smirks as he caresses Itachi's cheek.

"Really now…? That's good to hear." Itachi closes the distance and molds their lips firmly together, nearly climbing out of his seat and into Kisame's lap.

He smiles and returns the kiss. It was rare to see Itachi be this affectionate in public.

Indra chuckles at the sight of his childe being so openly affectionate with his lover. It was quite the display, and rather strategic as well. Now he would ward off potential 'allies' that wanted nothing more than to bed him, and thus prevent any jealousy or backstabbing later.

Then he turns his attention onto the fuming young man sitting quietly to his left. "Sasuke, is life at court agreeing with you?"

"Yes, it is very much." Sasuke smiles, deciding to deal with his lover's smug, possessive displays later. "Thank you for asking. How fare you this evening, My Lord?"

"I am satisfied with your progress, and amused by the entertainments of the young." Though Indra would be lying if he claimed to have no concerns. "You have been a vampire for less than a year, if memory serves correctly."

"I'm glad that you've been so entertained of late." Sasuke shakes his head in amusement until he hears the next question. "Yes, that's correct. Your memory is impeccable as always, My Lord." There was no point in lying. Indra had ways of finding out, if Sasuke did.

Indra nods slightly, contemplating the dilemma Kakashi had presented him with. "Then you have lived with the Sabaku family for some time, I take it. Have you since returned to visit with you human family?"

"No, but I've written them." He glances at Indra. "Does that displease you?"

"Not at all." In fact, it may help to solve said dilemma. Indra laces his hands together pensively. "If…given the chance to visit them, do you believe that they would welcome you home for a little while? Given that you are now a vampire."

He tilts his head, not certain what game Indra was playing, but there was certainly more going on than he was being told. "Yes, I believe so. They're loyal subjects, Lord Indra." He could only hope it wouldn't end in their demise. If it came to it, Sasuke would protect them to the best of his ability and that meant Gaara, Itachi, and Kisame would as well. Possibly even Temari and Kankuro, but even then the odds were...low they'd be victorious. He didn't want to think that way about the elder vampire who hadn't really shown anything, but courtesy since he got there. It was just impossible to know what was going on in the other vampire's mind.

"Yes, of course." Indra sighs at the thought of his childe, now happily bundled in Kisame's arms. "As you know, Itachi is recently turned, but has greater control over his bloodlust than even I expected. And so, now that the risks have been largely mitigated, I believe that it would do him some good to visit your parents. He has missed them greatly."

"Well, I could write them." Sasuke pauses not sure how Itachi would feel about such a thing. "I know they'd be delighted, but some forewarning is only considerate. Assuming he wishes to go of course."

"I believe that he wishes for it, but his place here and so much time away from them has made him wary." It was one of those small, hidden things that Indra did not like to see in his childe.

"That's only to be expected, but I'll speak to him on the matter." Sasuke nods.

"Thank you, Sasuke." Indra's eyes glow with approval. "It pleases me to see that the two of you have reconciled to such an extent. The both of you look much happier for it."

"I never thought such a thing would be possible, but you're right." He watches Indra, noting the approval in his eyes. "We are both happier for it."

Indra's lips curve into a smile. "Good. Though it seems that the source of your happiness is not solely to be found in your reconciliation." His eyes grow bright with humor. "I commend you on your taste. Your lover is certainly quite the prize."

Everyone seemed intent on making him blush tonight, Sasuke notices. "Yes, he is. He's also going to be punished severely for his..." Sasuke didn't even know what to call it really. "Strutting about like a peacock tonight."

The ancient vampire chuckles heartily at his descendant's indignation. "I'm certain that you will devise a punishment worthy of our line." Ah, the emotional enthusiasm of youth.

"Yes, I'll think of something." Sasuke nods vigorously.

"Very good." Indra's chuckles slowly and peacefully die down as he recalls one last piece of business that he had with the young vampire. "Oh, and be assured that your little…after-dinner activities the other night have been properly disposed of. I must say that I have been rather impressed by your determination and ingenuity."

Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Thank you. He was an...annoyance, but predictable." Mostly predictable. He had seen through Sasuke's game, not that it had helped him much in the end.

"Yes, and I am quite glad to be rid of that…snake." Indra flicks his fingers in distaste. "I suggest that you slowly allow it to become known that you were the one who ensured his demise. It will help to build your reputation." And reputation was everything when one would live conceivably forever.

"I'll follow your counsel on the matter." The younger vampire nods as he considers his words.

Good, and now that that was settled, Indra returns to his own luxurious dishes and glances sideways at his youngest descendant. "And be sure to eat well. You will need the extra energy for when your lover plans to ravish you again tonight." And this time, on Indra's other side, Itachi hears the snippet of conversation. The elder brother smirks into his goblet of wine and casts his own sideways glance at Sasuke.

Sasuke rolls his eyes at Itachi before turning his gaze back to Indra. "I'm not sure why you assume that it's not the other way around."

The ancient vampire smirks at the challenge. "Because he is as smug as a peacock and your cheeks resemble roses."

"Damn it." He was going to make Gaara pay for this!


	22. Chapter 22

Thicker Than Water

 **celestia193's Author's Note:** This chapter is a bit later than expected, but things have been very busy for us both and September has brought with it its own challenges, including my return to school and the chaos that brings with it. But here we go, please enjoy, and let us know what you think about Itachi's decision this chapter.

Chapter 22

Holding his lover in their bed, Gaara presses a gentle kiss to the back of Sasuke's neck, his lips curling at his lover's indignation. "Are you truly still angry with me for ravishing you before presenting ourselves to Indra's court?"

Sasuke glowers at his lover. Well as much as he could while squirming. "Yes and you know that is cheating." Gaara was well aware how sensitive his neck was.

"It is not cheating to wish to pleasure my lover at every opportunity." Gaara chuckles softly and pulls Sasuke more tightly against him. "Surely you can find it in your beautiful heart to forgive me."

"Eventually, but if I don't punish you when you misbehave, you'll continue the behavior." Sasuke shakes his head. "You were only one or two steps shy of having us put on a show for everyone."

"Mm…and what a show it would have been. I'm certain that it would have gotten the point across to the lords and ladies of the court that you are…" Gaara reaches down to squeeze Sasuke's wondrous backside. "Firmly off limits."

Sasuke takes that as his cue to act. So he pins his lover underneath him. "I'd accuse you of being jealous, but the only people I've really spoken to here besides you and your siblings are Itachi, Kisame, and Indra." He looks down at him feeling a little perplexed.

Gaara's eyes remain pinned on Sasuke, and he runs his hands up Sasuke's silk-clad thighs. "Then perhaps you do not notice, but there is many a gaze in this court far too lascivious, and far too focused on you." Could Gaara really be blamed for some possessiveness and jealousy? "They can see far too many of your virtues and strengths. And you are new. To them, new means easily swayed. I know better, but it does not mean that they do."

"Oh." It had never occurred to Sasuke that Gaara might feel insecure about anything. "You know they mean nothing to me. That's just lust." Something they had plenty of, but the bond he and Gaara shared was deeper than that. "I'll be sure to use all that to OUR advantage though."

A smile lightly curves Gaara's lips. "You certainly are turning out to be a very fine vampire. Already plotting away." He effortlessly flips them back over, this time pinning Sasuke to the bed and hiking up Sasuke's knees around his hips. "I must count my blessings for having found such a prize waiting at home with my sister."

"Mmm I'm lucky you took pity on me and brought me here." He smiles up at Gaara. "Most would have just dismissed me as insane or overly ambitious."

"I have lived insanity, and I know the difference very well." Gaara leans down and presses a searing kiss to his lover's lips. But a soft snarl escapes him when a loud knock on the doors to their chambers disturbs their peace and quiet.

"I'll be right back." Sasuke ends the kiss reluctantly as he goes to answer the door.

The opening door reveals a silver-haired vampire leaning casually against the door frame. "Hello, Sasuke."

"What is it, Kakashi?" Sasuke bites back a snarl of his own. It was probably beneath him now to snarl at someone for knocking on a door, even if it was the King of Meddlers himself.

"And here I thought you might be grateful." Kakashi sighs. "After all, it's been only four days since I left the castle with your letter." A short time for such a long trip into the valley below.

"You got a response already?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "That was unexpectedly efficient of you."

"Enjoying playing mind games does not equate to inefficiency, Sasuke." Kakashi pulls a sealed letter from within the confines of a satchel attached to his belt. "Your parents were not particularly pleased to see me, but surprise overcame them when I delivered your letter to them. They were quite impatient to read your words to them and send a reply."

"I can't imagine why they weren't pleased to see the man sent to take their eldest son from them." Sasuke grabs the letter. "As a favor for your efficiency, I won't burn your dick off with the Amaterasu. Go." He doesn't; even bother waiting for Kakashi to answer him before he heads back to Gaara with the letter in hand and begins reading it.

 _Dearest Sasuke,_

 _Your father and I were beginning to worry when your letters suddenly stopped. We feared that something had happened to you. We did not expect you to have found a way into the Lord's castle as you have. But it certainly explains why you were unable to get letters to us._

 _Have you truly found your brother? When I received a single letter from him after he was taken, I feared that he might not have survived being taken into the Lord's court. But we are glad to hear that he is alive and safe, so to speak. It has been a long time, and it would do my heart good to see how my little boys have grown. Both of you._

 _Obito and Naori have missed you, and are eager to see you again. We have not yet told them of Itachi, but plan to do so after the Lord's messenger returns with our letter. I had not thought to burden them with the knowledge of a sibling that they might never have the chance to meet._

 _If the two of you would like to come for a visit, it would warm our hearts to see our sons again. I will even send your father and cousin out hunting so that I can make your favorite stew. You do still enjoy wild boar, don't you?_

 _Be sure to bring your lover when you come. I look forward to meeting the one who has captured my little boy's heart._

 _With all my love,_

 _Mother_

"She hasn't changed in the slightest." Tears threaten to spill from his eyes after reading the heartwarming letter. "Mother says that we may visit when we like. I'll need to compose a reply, of course."

Gaara smiles gently, warmly, then rises from the bed to wrap his arms around his precious treasure. "Then shall we arrange a visit for later this week? I'm certain that you'll want some time to prepare." And some time to convince Itachi to accompany them.

Sasuke nods as he considers it. "I hate to make them wait, but that would probably be for the best." Itachi would need time to mentally prepare himself as well. It had been so long.

Aqua eyes skim over the letter. It was beautiful. "Your mother must love you both very much if she is so willing to allow vampires to visit her home." He certainly couldn't have said the same for his own father. His mother…he'd never had the chance to meet.

"She does. I'm sure that you'll like her." Sasuke smiles at Gaara.

"Yes, she seems like a gracious lady." Gaara was certain that he would. But the real question was whether or not Sasuke's parents would like him. Of course, he didn't fear losing Sasuke over their disapproval. If Sasuke cared overly much what his parents thought of his decisions, he would never have become a vampire to begin with. But it would be nice not to be at odds with his lover's family. Itachi seemed to like him well enough, but he had not yet met the humans who had given birth to his beautiful mate.

Sasuke nods at Gaara as he caresses his cheek. "I should show this letter to Itachi immediately." He leaves a ghost of a kiss against the red head's lips. "I'm sure you understand."

"Of course." Gaara surges into the kiss for a moment, before breaking it and sauntering back towards the bed. "I will be right here waiting for you when you've finished."

"I'm sure you'll keep the bed warm." Sasuke smirks before darting off.

* * *

Back in his chambers, laid out on the silky covers of their bed, Itachi leans back into Kisame's arms, enjoying the attention and affection lavished on him by his demonic lover. "You do like to spoil me, don't you?"

"Of course, I do." He looks at Itachi in confusion. "How is that even a question?"

"It's not, really. It's more an observation." Itachi chuckles and presses a kiss to Kisame's lips. "And it amuses me to see that expression on your face."

He returns the kiss and smirks. "You just enjoy messing with people's heads."

"I can't deny that." Itachi lays down in Kisame's lap. "It's become far more entertaining lately. And why deny myself when I have such a wonderfully willing victim who kisses me in such wicked ways?"

"You're a sweet talker." Kisame laughs as he deepens the kiss. "Let's hear how sweetly you can scream for me though."

And Itachi would allow him to do just that, were it not for the rather frantic knocking on his door that draws his attention away from his lover. He raises an eyebrow at the door but raises his voice anyway. "Come in."

Sasuke walks in and tries not to blush at the state he found them in. "Sorry to interrupt, but I thought you'd like to know as soon as the letter came." He strides over to Itachi and hands it to him. "It's from our mother."

Itachi's smile freezes in place, dimming a little at the news as it turns into caution. "…From Mother?" He didn't know that Sasuke had sent a letter to their parents, nor did he expect a letter to make it into the castle. His gaze traverses the paper and his eyes widen slightly. "…She wants to see us?"

"Yes, very much so." Sasuke nods at him, waiting to see how Itachi would react. There was a chance he might not feel 'worthy' of going.

After staring at the letter a moment more, Itachi places it on the silk covers of the bed and backs away from it, as though the words might jump off the page and bite him. "…Does she know that we're no longer human?"

"She knows and she invited us anyway." Sasuke shakes his head as he pokes Itachi's forehead for a change. "You didn't actually think that she'd believe you were still human after all this time at the court. The fact Indra didn't turn you sooner is shocking really."

"She thought I was dead." And Itachi had thought for a while that he might die before Indra turned him. Still, the thought of seeing his parents a decade after being separated from them was…daunting. "…And she''s not merely inviting me along to make you happy?" The letter seemed tilted towards wanting to see Sasuke, but perhaps Itachi was simply reading into it too much.

"No, she thought you were a vampire." Sasuke shakes his head pokes Itachi again, this time harder. "Stop being foolish. She wouldn't have invited you, if she didn't want you there."

Itachi flinches and lays back against Kisame, a worried, almost lonely expression on his face. "…But I abandoned them. Why would they ever take back such a…" He could barely find the words to describe himself. "A disappointment."

"You didn't have a choice. I was a dumb child, but they knew better." Sasuke shakes his head.

Maybe, but Itachi had still abandoned them. He'd been weak, too weak to see them again without breaking what little resolve he'd had. "…I only ever dreamed that I might see them again. That I might meet the siblings that you spoke of." The ones who hadn't even known that Itachi existed. "…Are you so sure that they will accept me?"

Sasuke sighs as he meets Itachi's gaze. "I wouldn't have suggested you go if I thought they wouldn't accept you."

"The brat is right. I'm sure he's going to give Gaara a case of blue balls, but he's not sadistic enough to put you through that." Kisame chuckles, trying to force some levity into the situation.

Itachi glances uncertainly at his lover, then at his little brother. "And when would this visit be taking place?" From the tone of the letter, it felt as though it might be rather soon.

"I figured in a week would be best." Sasuke smiles at him.

A week. That was time, but not much. "I see." Itachi shifts uncomfortably, his fingers playing nervously with the tips of his hair. "…Would you give me a little time to consider the matter?"

"Of course. It can wait a day or two." Sasuke nods at him. "I know this isn't an easy decision for you."

"Thank you, Sasuke." Easy decision or not, Itachi knew that he would have to decide quickly, and that he would second-guess himself until the visit began. With or without him.

"You're welcome. I'll leave you to your shark. I've got a sexy red head to punish." Sasuke smirks.

"Yes, good luck with your redhead." Itachi smiles half-heartedly. "I'm certain that you'll teach him what it means to embarrass an Uchiha."

Sasuke nods as he disappears with a smug smile on his face.

Itachi sighs and cuddles up against his demon lover, his head and heart spinning with excitement and dread alike. "…Is this too good to be true, or is the sentiment merely in my head?"

"I know why you're anxious about it, but honestly I don't think Sasuke would set you up for more heartache." Kisame kisses his forehead. "Though you're probably going to have a bruise there."

"I am a vampire, vampires do not bruise so easily." But Itachi still rubs his forehead self-consciously, hissing slightly when he feels the tender red spot. "Do you suppose it is revenge for when I did it to him as a child?"

"I imagine it is." Kisame smirks. "That and it got your attention."

Itachi pouts and turns away from Kisame. "I don't understand why you seem so smug after seeing my younger brother make a fool of me."

"Well, you know it was pretty fucking adorable. I'm sure our pups will do the same one day." Kisame smiles at him.

At the mention of pups, Itachi softens a little. But only a little. "Perhaps, but I'm certain that your sadistic and mischievous ways will keep me busy with them. At least with them, I will not need to fear appearing ravished before the court like my foolish little brother."

"I was only teasing you, Itachi." Kisame smiles and kisses him. "Now, where were we?"

"I believe that you were planning on pampering me until I tell you to cease your pampering efforts." Itachi smirks at the thought. He did so love being pampered by Kisame. But only by Kisame.

"Yes, that does sound about right." He smirks and deepens the kiss.

Itachi's hands slide up over his lover's shoulders and around his neck as he pulls his lover flat against him and murmurs softly against those warm lips. "I love you, Kisame." And Itachi loved it when he felt like he was the center of Kisame's world.

* * *

The light of the rising sun filters through the clouds and into Itachi's bedchambers. The young vampire opens his eyes, blinking languidly as he brushes a few stray strands of long raven hair from his face. How long had it been since they retired here? A day? Two? Time always seemed to fly when he was all wrapped up in his lover's arms.

But…time was passing, and Itachi knew that he had a decision to make. And once made, it couldn't be undone. On the one hand, it could be the greatest balm on his heart. But on the other, it could very well prove to be his undoing. Such a difficult decision to make…

He leans into the warmth of his lover's embrace, smiling at the hand pressed to his stomach. It seemed that, even asleep, Kisame's eagerness about Itachi's intended course of action was obvious. He was sure that the demon would make for a very proud papa one day. Assuming that all went to plan, of course.

Itachi rolls over in his lover's embrace and presses his lips to Kisame's shoulder, kissing along his pulse point. It made him almost hungry, having the throbbing, pulsing sensation beneath his lips. But he ignores the slight aching in his fangs in favor of lavishing Kisame's blue skin with bruising kisses.

"Mmm you're lucky that i love you or else, I'd be a little concerned about having a vampire's kisses pressing against my neck at this hour." Kisame chuckles as his eyes flutter open. "Feels damn good though."

"It's supposed to." Itachi smirks slightly and leans back, pressing the next kiss to Kisame's lips. "Good morning."

He returns the kiss eagerly. "Mmm. Good morning."

After allowing the kiss to go on for more than a few moments, Itachi breaks it and rests his head against the demon's shoulder. "Kisame…how important is family to you?"

"What do you mean?" Kisame looks at him in confusion.

"I mean…" It was difficult for Itachi to put into words. "Would you return to your family, wherever they are, if you had the chance? If there was nothing binding you to Lord Nagato, or to me?"

"Oh well, I have no idea where they are to be honest. Besides, I'd choose you every time." He smiles at Itachi.

"Hm…" Itachi supposed that was true. And the shark did seem to be a fairly solitary creature, outside of interacting the few he called friends. "Do you miss them?"

"That's not really how we're wired. We'll defend our pups until they're grown, but we're like sharks usually. Unless, you know, there's something going on like in our situation. I won't care. I'll stick around after they're grown because they're ours." He kisses Itachi's forehead.

"Because they're ours…" Itachi smiles faintly, wondering if such a sentiment held true of all parents. "Do you think my parents will feel the same way?" Would they welcome him home because he was 'theirs'?

He looks at Itachi quizzically. "I imagine so. They'd be idiots, if they didn't. I can't imagine they are since they sired you and Sasuke."

"No…they're certainly not idiots. But they're human." And Itachi knew well what it was like to be a human around vampires. "It wouldn't be unwise for them to be cautious and wary of us." Of him. It had been ten years, after all. "And Sasuke will want an answer soon." He had asked for time, and Sasuke had given it. But he knew well how impatient his foolish little brother could be.

"Itachi, tell him yes or you will regret it for the rest of your existence." Kisame could see that his Mate was indecisive, but he was only making this harder on himself than it had to be. There was something to be said for animal instinct. "Honestly, I think the not knowing would be worse than if they hated you. At least then you could move on, but they'll love you."

Perhaps, but Itachi didn't think he could bear it if it turned out that his parents did hate him for leaving, for going to Indra's castle and becoming a vampire. Still, Kisame was right. If he never went to see them, he would spend the rest of his days wondering about the what ifs. And he didn't think he could stand that torture either. "Will you…come with me?"

"If you want me to. They'll probably be way more scared of me than you." He chuckles at him.

"That is…comforting." Sort of. But Itachi supposed that it was better than the alternative. "…I wonder what my youngest siblings will think of me…" It seemed that, until now, they'd known nothing of him. He couldn't blame his parents for keeping his existence a secret. He had hurt Sasuke enough with his departure. There was no need to cause Obito and Naori the same pain over a sibling that they had never met.

"Itachi, do I have to fuck your brains out again?" Kisame shakes his head. "Snap out of this melancholy. In the absolute worse case scenario you come back here and continue to be with me. You have Sasuke back in your life and Lord Indra still supports you and we might start a family of our own. You don't need to fret this much."

Itachi's gaze rises to meet Kisame's and he smiles faintly. "Yes…I have you." He would still have Kisame, and whatever pups they managed to have together. It was just difficult to be optimistic when he had spent the last decade longing to go home, but being too afraid to do so. "Very well, I will tell Sasuke at breakfast that I agree to this visit." It may break his heart in the end, but in the spirit of indulging in a little optimism, it might heal it instead.

"That's right." Kisame nods, pleased that Itachi was snapping out of it. "You'll see. It'll all work out for the best."

"Yes…it will all work out for the best…" Itachi sighs and turns over to face the rising sun. The enchantments cast about the castle kept out the dangerous rays that could blister a vampire's skin in seconds. Most vampiric manors were enchanted with such spells to make them properly habitable. But venturing into the human lands meant, like Kakashi had once done when fetching him, traveling at night. "I will need to find a thick enough clock to protect myself with, in case we overstay our welcome and get caught out in the sun."

Well, that was something. At least Itachi was focused on the more practical realities of their impending visit than moping. "Yeah. That'd be a good idea."

"I'll also have to decide on what to wear, and whether to bring more than one set of clothes." Itachi doubted his parents would truly care all that much how he chose to garb himself, but he wanted to make a good impression after being away for so long. He did not want to flaunt or strut, so nothing too lavish, but nothing too simple, or he might be mistaken for a commoner and given trouble by anyone who might decide to pay his parents a visit.

And depending on the length of the visit, if his parents were receptive to him, he might need to bring more than a mere one change of clothes. After all, his parents wouldn't have any clothes for him that would fit anymore. "Is there anything you think I should wear?" Itachi looks to Kisame, wondering what his lover might say.

"Well you know my question, I always prefer you in nothing at all." He shakes his head as he gets up and heads to the wardrobe before handing him a few choice pieces. "This should do nicely though."

Itachi chuckles and sits up, letting the silk sheets fall across his lap. He takes the soft, silken garments from Kisame's giant hands, examining them carefully. They were expensive, clearly, but were not heavy on embroidery, merely an elegant black silk tunic and trousers with golden trim, and a sleeveless hard leather jerkin reminiscent of darkened redwood. "Yes, I think that these will do quite nicely. He would look appropriately regal, but not in a particularly showy fashion. And he did rather like the colors.

"I'm glad you like it." He smiles and kisses Itachi. "So stop worrying so much."

While he doubted it would be so easy, Itachi acquiesces and melts into the kiss. He could save his worrying for later. What mattered now was being prepared and making a good impression on the parents he hadn't seen in a decade.

Oh, and that thing that Kisame liked to do with his tongue. That was rather important too.


	23. Chapter 23

Thicker Than Water

 **celestia193's Author's Note:** And finally, we can put most of Itachi's fears to rest. Surprise!

Chapter 23

Itachi pulls the dark wine-red velvet of his cloak tighter about his shoulders as the carriage trundles down the path towards the village. It had been so long since the last time he had traveled this road, and while there were new fields plowed along it, it remained largely the same. It was so very nostalgic, even at night when it was hard for all but vampires to see.

They had traveled through the night and dawn was approaching. Better to pay a visit to their parents' home in the daylight, rather than at night when all of the clan would be asleep. Though seeing the rest of the clan was another daunting prospect, and not one that Itachi hoped to face during this visit.

He glances towards his little brother, sitting across the carriage from him. Sasuke had dressed largely in dark blue, donning for himself a deep purple cloak. Purple suited his brother well. Itachi only hoped that their parents would agree. "Do you plan to introduce them to your intended today?" Introducing any lover to your parents could be daunting, or so Itachi had gathered. But to complicate it further by becoming a vampire, and then taking a vampire, or a demon for a lover was an entirely new sort of complication that Itachi doubted either of them were ready for.

"Yes. I imagine that Gaara will probably be the least of their concerns today." Sasuke smirks smugly, pleased by his own cleverness. "So I won't get nearly as thoroughly interrogated as I normally would."

Ah…yes, Itachi recalled their father's questioning tactics quite clearly. He also recalled that while he hadn't had any difficulty in his own interrogations, Sasuke had thoroughly dreaded them. "Perhaps, though they are likely to be more comfortable interrogating you than myself."

He gives him a dirty look. "I doubt that's the case." Sasuke was reasonably confident in his strategy!

Itachi chuckles softly at his little brother's indignation and reaches across the carriage to poke at his forehead. "Never underestimate a mother's interest in her children's lovers. And unlike yours, mine is rather frightening to humans." Gaara down quite approachable, visually speaking, when compared with the giant blue shark demon.

"Must you always poke my forehead?" Sasuke shakes his head. It was embarrassing, especially in front of Gaara and Kisame. "Though I'm sure they'll be interested in Gaara. It'd be impossible not to be, but your return and Kisame will likely merit the lion's share of attention."

"Perhaps." Itachi settles back into his seat as the first wood and stone buildings finally come into clear view. "And I will continue to poke your forehead so long as you remain foolish." He also felt that some payback was necessary. After all, Sasuke had taken great pleasure in returning the gesture several times since their reunion.

"I only did it to you as payback." Sasuke snorts, knowing exactly where Itachi's mind was going with this.

"Yes, quite." Itachi smirks at his little brother. "And now you shall not be offended if I return such payback in kind."

"Gaara, I doubt this poking thing is ever going to end." Kisame shakes his head in amusement.

"Indeed not." But as it seemed to help bring the brothers closer together, Gaara would not protest if Sasuke had a slight bruise on his forehead from Itachi's 'affectionate' forehead pokes. "You must admit that it is rather endearing."

"Yep. Just as long as it's not me." Kisame grins at him.

"Would you like for me to poke you as well?" Itachi raises a challenging eyebrow, daring Kisame to answer.

"I'm the one that does the majority of that, Itachi." Kisame smirks.

Itachi's cheeks pinken and he raises a fold of his clock to conceal his face. "Perverted demon." Honestly, saying such things in front of Sasuke!

Sasuke shakes his head as he tries to get some disturbing images out of his mind. "I'll just pretend I didn't hear that."

"That would be for the best." True, Itachi was still going to look into how to weave together the appropriate spells to achieve the ability to bear Kisame's pups, but he certainly did not need his little brother imagining just how those pups would be conceived.

Gaara chuckles quietly beside Sasuke as he peers out the window. The village was small, quaint, a nice little place for humans to live. And if he recalled correctly, he lived in a place much like this a very long time ago. A place like… "Is that your clan estate?" He gazes at a set of large wooden gates at the end of the main road, as well as the high walls that obscured the front of what looked like a large number of buildings extending up the hillside.

Sasuke nods in agreement at Itachi's assessment before turning his attention back to Gaara. "Yes, it is. Nothing can compete with Lord Indra's castle in terms of grandness, but this is home."

"Yes…" Itachi's gaze flicks across the wall as they approach, remembering the smaller clan village contained on the edge of the main village. An estate, technically, but it was many buildings instead of one. Wooden buildings built on foundations of stone, with a hill raising them up above the village, and descending towards a lake on the other side. He remembered well the days that he would spend there, training in the sun and bathing in the clear, cool waters. Still, he leans back into the carriage, away from the windows as they approach the guarded gates. He pulls his hood over his head, concealing his features from nosy relatives.

The carriage slows to a stop outside of the gates, and one of the guards flashes red eyes as he approaches the carriage. "Who goes there?"

Sasuke decides to make his presence known first. So he hops out of the carriage to greet the guard. "Sasuke Uchiha. Son of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. They're expecting me and the rest of our procession."

The glowing red eyes widen, then darken to an onyx black as the guard bows with deference, recognizing the missing son of the clan heads. "Of course, Lord Sasuke. We were informed that you would be arriving soon." He turns to the gates and raises his voice for the guards on the other side. "Open the gates!"

"Thank you." Sasuke issues them a smile before returning to the others. It wouldn't be long now. Soon enough they'd be reunited with the rest of their family.

Itachi watches carefully as the gates open and the carriage proceeds inside. His fingers clench on his knees, but otherwise, he makes no sign of his growing discomfort. This place was achingly familiar. And yet, it had been so long…

"Itachi, it's going to be alright." Kisame sighs as he takes his lover's hands into his own in an effort to comfort him. "Remember what we discussed earlier."

A little of Itachi's anxiety begins to wane as he squeezes Kisame's hands. "I know." No matter what happened today, he would always have a home with Kisame. He would never be alone again.

The carriage trundles down the little road to the main house, stopping before the largest residential building, the home of the clan heads. Inside, the laughter of children could be heard.

Gaara is the first to open the door this time, stepping out of the carriage and offering his hand to Sasuke. "I think it is time to escort our young lords home."

Sasuke takes his hand as Kisame offers his own to Itachi. The younger Uchiha couldn't help but smile at this knowledge. Both men were so dedicated. Neither had to be here, but they were.

Itachi secures his hood, protecting himself against the glare of the rising sun and against potential recognition, then takes Kisame's hand after slipping his own into dark gloves. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Kisame nods at him. "Don't worry." He wasn't sure how many times he'd said that at this point. Honestly, he'd lost count, but he really didn't want to see his lover fall to pieces.

Smiling softly beneath the hood of the cloak, Itachi leans up to press a kiss to Kisame's lips. "I know." He glances towards the doors, towards the path that Sasuke and Gaara followed up the front steps. "I suppose it's time." There was no point in delaying any longer.

The doors to the entrance hall open and Gaara steps inside with his lover. It was not as grand as a palace, true, but it was a beautiful home nonetheless. It felt warm and…good. Like a true family's home. "So this is the place in which you grew up?"

Sasuke smiles at Gaara as he looks around with a fondness in his eyes. "Yes, it is. I suppose one never forgets their first home."

"Sasuke!" A woman with long, dark hair and a face nearly identical to her son's emerges from the largest corridor leading off the main hall. She races towards him, her arms outstretched, giving the redheaded vampire barely enough time to back away from her baby before smothering him in her embrace.

"Mother, it's so good to see you." Sasuke returns the embrace with a smile. It was a good thing he no longer needed to breathe, or else he'd probably already be turning purple by now.

"And it's good to see you again, my sweet little boy." She reaches up to pat his cheek, then turns her eyes on the newly revealed redhead trailing just behind her son. "Oh, and who is this? Is this Gaara?"

That didn't take long, Sasuke thinks to himself. "Yes, Mother. This is Gaara. The love of my life." He pauses for a moment, debating if he should have said that or not considering his mother was likely two breaths away from tackling the red head with a fierce embrace now. "Gaara, this is my mother. Mikoto Uchiha."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Lady U-" Gaara bows his head slightly, only to be on the receiving end of a very physical display of affection from the human woman who had given birth to his intended. She could crush bones with the grip of hers.

"Oh Sasuke, isn't he exotic? I've never seen such red hair before in my life." I this village, the dark hair of the Uchiha Clan was considered attractive and somewhat exotic, but this young man, vampire, was like nothing she'd ever seen before.

"Mother...he's not some pedigreed feline that I found." Exotic? Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "But yes, he's very attractive and you might want to loosen your grip slightly. He doesn't need to breathe, but broken ribs aren't fun."

"Honestly, Sasuke." Mikoto clicks her tongue as she reluctantly releases the redhead from her grip. "I doubt that I could cause any damage to your lover with just an embrace." Though Fugaku's notions of proper relationships might induce a few rather shocked fireballs upon seeing Sasuke's new lover. "Now, where is…?" Mikoto looks around finding no one else around her second son. "Did…did he not come with you?"

"Itachi is here. He just has a habit of sulking in the shadows." Sasuke glances around and points towards a corner. "He's wearing a cloak so as to cause less of a stir."

Mikoto blinks and peers at the corner, her eyes taking on a slight reddish sheen as she gazes into the darkness. "…Itachi? Sweetheart?" It had been so long since she'd last laid eyes on her oldest boy that she didn't know what to expect now. Had he grown tall? Was he as handsome as his childhood beauty would lead anyone to believe?

The shadows move slowly, and from the darkness between the doors and the entrance hall emerges a shadowed figure in a wine-red cloak. A gloved hand rises, and slowly, Itachi lowers it, showing his face to the woman who had birthed him for the first time in over a decade. "…Hello Mother."

She could hardly believe it. The beautiful boy who had always shown so much promise was now a handsome young man. Her son was back and appeared healthy.

Happy tears stream down her cheek as she quickly runs to him and embraces him. "You've grown so handsome. You were always such a cute child, but now you've grown into a wonderful young man. It's been so long, Itachi. Your father and I thought we'd never see you again. Oh and you simply must meet the twins!"

Itachi's head spins a little from the barrage of words and he carefully lays his hands on his mother's back. "…You are still as beautiful as the day I left." That's right, the twins. Considering the hour, they were likely at breakfast. "I…apologize for the early hour. We have been traveling for three nights."

"You were always such a sweet boy." She smiles at him, trying to blink away the tears in her eyes. "Oh you don't need to worry. It's been years, Itachi. You could have shown up in the dead of night and we would have roused for you. We've waited so long."

He'd wanted to. Many time, Itachi had wanted to run away from that castle and return home, even if it meant showing up in the dead of night. And that sweetness of his could have gotten him killed, had he shown it to anyone other than Kakashi. "I'm sorry that you waited so long." He'd intended for her to mourn and move on. Clearly, things had no gone according to plan. Not entirely, anyway. But the twins were proof enough that she had moved on a little, at least.

"Itachi, you're our son. We would have waited forever if there was a chance." Mikoto smiles at him as Sasuke and Kisame wisely wait in silence. "We're merely waiting for your brother and sister to get a bit older so your father and I can be turned. The same for them, of course. They're too little now..."

Wait, what? "What are you talking about?" Itachi frowns and carefully extracts himself from his mother's crushing embrace. And it takes a few moments fro the words to truly sink in. "What about the clan?" It was one thing for his foolish little brother to follow after him when there were now two new heirs to the clan, but for his parents to decide this… "I didn't…wish to become a vampire, I merely did as Lord Indra commanded so that our clan would be left in peace."

"We've already chosen the line of succession in advance. The transition will be a peaceful one when the time comes." Mikoto smiles at him reassuringly.

"But…why…?" Itachi didn't understand it. Why did they WANT to choose to become vampires? He certainly hadn't wanted this when he was human. Certainly things were different now that he had Kisame. "This isn't the sort of decision that you make lightly."

"We didn't make it lightly. We've got much to explain." She smiles at him. "Though now we'll have plenty of time to do so."

Itachi nods dumbly and glances back towards the doorway where Kisame stood, an unassuming giant of a man. This was not turning out at all the way he'd expected. "I…" He looks back to his mother, his footing unsure and his path unclear. "Then I…think I would like to meet my brother and sister. After breakfast, if that is more appropriate."

"You can meet them during or after breakfast." She embraces him once again, still not believing he was really back. "Whichever is more comfortable for you."

Best to get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later. His initial fears were subsiding, but new ones were already hard at work taking their place. "Then perhaps now would be best." Food was always a good way to bring people together and ease tension. And Itachi certainly had a lot of tension.

"Very well. Breakfast first then. Do vampires still eat regular food?" She tilts her head to the side.

"We can." Itachi glances back at his lover and holds out his hand. "Though Kisame will likely appreciate the taste most." And perhaps he would be able to sneak a meal out of his lover before he started getting antsy around the humans.

* * *

The moment that Itachi stepped into the dining room, where the low table still rested in the center to be sat around, his memories of childhood came bursting through the damn he'd created, trying to hold them back. He remembered learning to cook from his mother, he remembered helping her to carry the food in, he remembered the look on Sasuke's face when those dark eyes would light up at the thought of eating Itachi's cooking.

That was all a very long time ago, and now of the three people already present, the only person he recognized already sitting at the table for breakfast was a man whose hair was beginning to go gray, with narrow eyes that often scrutinized harshly, but occasionally crinkled in amusement or affection.

The little boy and girl who looked so much alike, he surmised, must be the twins. Obito and Naori, his little brother and sister.

Fugaku looks up from the table at the incoming party accompanying his wife. One, he recognized quite readily. After all, he'd raised Sasuke for nearly eighteen years, before the boy ran off in search of power and immortality. The redhead and giant blue man, he certainly did not recognize. The one being dragged by his wife, however…

It had been ten years since he had last seen that face, still round and soft with youth, now sharper and more elegant. But still, that face was unmistakable. "Itachi."

Itachi stiffens slightly under the man's familiar gaze. He was being evaluated, just like back when he was a child and was perfecting a new fighting technique. And no matter his fears concerning what his family was deciding, he would not wilt under his father's gaze.

"Isn't it wonderful, Fugaku. He's returned to us after all these years." She beams at Itachi, but looks at him with mild concern. "Do you wish to meet Naori and Obito first...or should you feed first? I presume you've already gotten an exceptional amount of control for your age given that you've caught Indra's eye though."

"Exceptional for a newborn, perhaps, but we do have some…safeguards in place, just in case." Itachi glances curiously at the two children who so clearly had the classical Uchiha looks. Perhaps it would be best to sit across the table from them for now. "I think I will sit with Kisame and Sasuke."

"That's probably a good idea." Sasuke smiles at his younger siblings. "Itachi is thrilled to meet you though."

Naori tilts her head curiously, looking up at the new man who looked like her big brother. That had to be her other big brother. Her mama called him Itachi, after all. That was her oldest brother's name. "You're really beautiful, just like Mama."

Itachi blinks, then he chuckles softly as he takes a seat on the opposite side of the table. "Thank you. It's good to see that you've grown up to be so lively." He wouldn't argue the femininity of the adjective with a nine year old. She was simply too young for it to make much difference.

"Yep. I agree, little guppy." Kisame grins at her, positively delighted by the description.

Itachi growls softly and glares at his intended. The nine year old was one thing, but did his mate really have to tease him in such a fashion?

Mikoto giggles, but politely tries to hide it. It really wouldn't do to embarrass him.

Gaara rolls his eyes at the other couple and settles himself down for the meal. He wasn't hungry, but he could eat a few bites just to be polite. He was far more interested in his intended than in food, so he moves Sasuke's plate over to rest in front of him, then pulls Sasuke to sit in his lap. "Now I see where you inherited your surly demeanor from. And clearly, you inherited your sweetness from your mother."

Sasuke tries his best not to gape at Gaara. "I can't believe you just called my father surly."

Gaara notes the glare being leveled at him from the head of the table and shrugs. "It seems that I'm not wrong. Though it is amusing that you take more issue with my observation regarding your sire, and not with your own very sensitive nature." Perhaps his lover had come to accept the inevitable. Because Sasuke could be terribly sweet sometimes. Particularly when he was moaning for Gaara to make love to him again.

"Sensitive?! I am not sensitive." Sasuke glowers at him. How dare his lover say that and in front of his family.

Gaara chuckles softly at his overly sensitive lover's overreaction and presses a kiss to Sasuke's cheek. "Go on and eat. We can debate just how sensitive you are later." In bed, where Gaara fully intended on proving his point.

Sasuke rolls his eyes at Gaara and issues an annoyed growl at him before going back to eat. His mother had clearly made this meal herself. He could taste as much.

Itachi smirks at the sight of his little brother's annoyance. It made him want to poke Sasuke's forehead again and turn that glare up a few notches. He picks at the food, trying a sausage that brought back an old memory. A memory of going to the butcher's with his mother to pick out the right meats for grinding into sausage. The spices on his tongue certainly tasted like his mother's recipe, even if the tastes were rather muted, now that he was a vampire.

He chews slowly, contemplating just what he was going to ask. Because there was so much to ask that he couldn't possibly say it all at once. So he begins with the simplest and least alarming question on his mind. "How fares the clan these days?" It was something rather difficult to ascertain from days away on the castle roof.

Mikoto recognizes the awkward attempt for what it was. "Quite well. Our numbers are growing and the harvest was good last year." She takes a bite of her food before continuing. "Your youngest brother and sister are both doing exceptionally well in their lessons too."

A genuine smile plays about Itachi's lips. "I see, that's good. Has there been any trouble as of late?" If there had been, Itachi was in a position now to solve whatever problems the clan might have.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, but I suppose you could always help your father with his affairs of the day, if you like." He was smiling, but Mikoto could tell that he wanted to be able to do something. "I'm sure he'd enjoy the company and you as well, Sasuke." She turns her smile on her second son.

Itachi chuckles at his mother's attempt to include Sasuke, who was currently more than a little occupied by the redhead in whose lap he was sitting. "Perhaps it would be best to leave Sasuke to his own devices. Clearly he has many an important duty of his own to attend to." Namely bending over the side of a bed for his lover.

"Yes, I suppose so." She shakes her head in amusement at the pair.

"But…I would be glad to assist Father in his tasks." Itachi glances carefully at the man whom he once looked up to as a child.

Fugaku look up from his food, regarding his eldest son carefully. Then he nods his approval. "Very well."

Not that he had expected his father to become any more articulate in the intervening years, Itachi felt a little disappointed by the curt reply. But it was hardly unexpected, his father never truly had been one for lengthy conversation.

Mikoto bites back a sigh at the less than enthusiastic exchange. Ah well. They just needed time to bond once more as father and son. "Good. Then it is decided."

"Yes." Itachi picks at his food, eating slowly as he watches his two youngest siblings chatter away, occasionally engaging him in their meandering conversation. The children made him smile, and they made him wonder if his own might be so sweet and energetic one day.


	24. Chapter 24

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 24

It was nostalgic to be riding along the paths that connected the small network of homes and barns to the fields again. Itachi hadn't seen them since he was a boy, and yet, every bump and hole in the paths were still there. A bit smaller, perhaps, worn down and filled in with the passing of time, but present nonetheless. And beyond the paths lay the sprawling fields that provided all of the fertile soil and pasture land that the clan needed to feed itself.

Even the horse was familiar, one that he had first tended to when it was only a foal. He remembered seeing it birthed, and it was quite the…interesting experience. Though he knew that it would help prepare him. There were many things here that had helped prepare him. Though there were many things that he could never have been prepared for as well.

Itachi fiddles with the enchanted ring on his finger, still a little uncomfortable under the light of the sun. He gazes past his father and across the vast farmlands, watching as the stalks of grain and corn sway in the breeze under the mid-afternoon sun. "…It looks to be a good harvest this year."

"Yes, we're fortunate in more ways than one." Fugaku nods as he smiles at Itachi. "To be honest, we always hoped you would find your way back to us." It would have been a lie to say that he had never lost hope though. After the years had passed, Fugaku had thought Itachi had just become a vampire and that was that. "It pleases me greatly that you're here. I find myself…struggling to say how much."

Well, his father had never been the most expressive of men, so Itachi doubted that such a thing would help when trying to express himself in this way. Still, it was…difficult in many ways to hear. "And I longed to return, but I refrained. I feared what Lord Indra might have done had I broken the agreement. Had I…come to visit, only to stay instead of returning to him." It had been hard to go without seeing his family. But it was for their sake that he'd stayed away. "And now, there is no longer a risk. I could not stay for very long, no matter how much I might wish to." While humans might exist within the castle to serve as feeders or servants, there would never be a place for a vampire among humans.

Fugaku nods in understanding. " You're a new vampire. You will need to feed, of course. We're still happy that you've come to see us. What's in the past is in the past."

"I suppose that is true." But there was still much in the past that Itachi had yet to apologize for. "I am sorry…I never meant for Sasuke to leave you in search of me. I meant only for him to forget me and remain here, not abandon you to become a vampire."

"I know what you intended, but it does no good to dwell on the matter." Fugaku sighs as he embraces his eldest son. "Besides, you should have known Sasuke better than that. Do you really think that he wouldn't do everything in his power to find you again?"

"In hindsight, I should have expected it." But it was true that it would do no good to dwell. Itachi was already torturing himself for the blunder. "…I never intended for you to follow me either." Itachi glances at his father warily. "Mother told me that you intend to…"

He quirks an eyebrow at that. "I take it you do not approve?"

No, Itachi couldn't say that he approved. "I would say that I do not understand why you would choose such a…path. Indra only required one heir of us, and now he has two. There is no need for you and Mother to leave the comfort of our clan behind."

"Don't mistake us, Itachi." Fugaku shakes his his head at the young vampire. "We do love our Clan, but we have taken precautions and we will not isolate ourselves from them. We will keep correspondence through letters and visit when our bloodlust is under control." This wasn't a decision they had made lightly. "We desire to be together as a close family once more and we both know what will happen if we stay human. I'm afraid I don't see what is so appealing about growing old, weak, and dying when one has only just begun to appreciate all the world has to offer."

A close family, one that no longer fear the ravages of time. Itachi could see the appeal. But if only it were truly that simple. "…The castle is not a place that is kind to the heart. I…am not the same person as I was when I was a child and taken away from here."

"Itachi, I'm not naive. I realize that, but you are still Itachi." Fugaku pokes his forehead and smiles. "The fact that you feel it necessary to warn us of such facts proves that you do still love the same way. We've all done things we aren't proud of."

Itachi's eyes widen slightly, then he closes them, fighting back the burn that threatened tears. "Yes…I suppose that is true." He takes a breath and opens his eyes, a rueful smile playing about his lips. "I suppose that I should be grateful that you and Mother have employed courtesy and warned me of your impending deaths. Sasuke appearing before me at court was a rather terrifying surprise. I did not expect that he would become a vampire, let alone before I did."

"You'd be amazed at what people will do when it comes to those they love." Fugaku withdraws his fingers, but smiles warmly. "Yes, I'm glad we were able to tell you before the change."

As well and good as all of this seemed to be, Itachi remained concerned, particularly as his parents were…getting on in years. There would only be so much longer before the change became less advantageous. "It would have to be done soon, you do realize that, don't you? By the time Obito and Naori are fully grown, your body would not be…ideal for the change."

"We've already made arrangements to see to their care while we adjust and will be in correspondence with them. They understand." He eyes Itachi carefully for his reaction.

"I…see." It did not sit well with Itachi to leave his younger siblings without their parents. When he left home, even Kakashi was not enough to fill the gaping void left behind by such a loss. "You should be aware…as you are of our family and of Lord Indra's line, there is a chance that he will show favor to you. And such a thing will earn you disdain and dislike within the court." Itachi didn't like it, but it was a fact. "Sasuke and I are in the process of…disposing of our opposition, and two of our noisiest problems have been dealt with, but there will be others."

"Should I be offended that you think I know so little of politics?" Fugaku chuckles at the warning. "Of course the stakes are higher as vampires, but the rules of the game do not change all that much from species to species. The desire for power is something that humans and vampires alike both have."

For a moment, Itachi stares bemusedly at his father, then a smile curls his lips. "In that case, I pity the fools who think to challenge you. Provided, of course, that there are any left after Sasuke and I have finished with the castle."

"Indeed and in the unlikely event some remain behind, we have both you and Sasuke to warn of us such things." He nods. "So I'm not inclined to fret."

"I see." Itachi sighs and shakes his head. "Then I will simply have to see to it that the worst of them are dealt with before you have cause to try and tear their throats out." Or worse. "…You and Mother, when do the two of you plan to come and join us?"

"We haven't decided on an exact date." He glances at Itachi. "Do you have suggestions."

Maybe it was too soon, after all, Itachi still struggled from time to time with his own bloodlust. But Sasuke rarely had problems with his own nowadays, and there was also Gaara and Kisame about to keep either of them from losing control. Not to mention Kakashi, who had quite a lot of experience handling both humans, vampires, and newborns.

"…You could return to the castle with us. I do not know how long we will stay here. I had intended perhaps only a day or two, but now…" Now that Itachi knew that he was not going to be driven away, perhaps he could stay a little longer. "Now, I believe that I may need more time here with Mother. There are certain…magical experiments that I wish to try."

"Magical experiments?" He tilts his head in confusion. "Of what nature?"

Itachi should have known that his father would inquire about it. "Of a…healing nature." Sort of, but it was as close as Itachi could reckon without being blindingly obvious as to what he intended to do.

"Are you injured?" Fugaku frowns as he looks him up and down.

"No, I am a vampire." Which both meant that Itachi could heal quickly from any injury he sustained, but also that, at present, he could no longer have children. Which is precisely what he sought to rectify.

"I surmise this means you do not wish to tell me and I won't pry." Fugaku sighs, knowing a losing battle when he saw one.

"Thank you." Itachi would breathe a sigh of relief, if he still had need of breathing. "It will be embarrassing enough to go over it with Mother."

"I am now...rather concerned, but I said I wouldn't pry and I am a man of my word." He shakes his head.

"There's no need to be concerned. If it fails, then nothing will change. If it succeeds…" If it succeeded, Itachi wouldn't be able to hide it from his father anyway. "You'll know soon enough." He looks out across the fields once more, a sense of peace settling within him. "Shall we return to the estate?"

Fugaku nods for the sake of his sanity. "Yes, let's return. I'm certain the others are wondering what became of us."

"Or they will simply wonder if we will be back in time for dinner." Itachi smiles softly and turns his horse about. Once the family had eaten, Itachi would seek out his mother and ask the questions that had been whirling about in his mind for months now.

How could he become pregnant?

* * *

The smell of stew and roast boar hadn't had time to clear the air after dinner before Itachi snuck off, intent on his new mission. He was both male and a vampire, and therefore, nature itself waged war against him. But he would wage war right back, and for that, he would need a woman's expertise. Particularly that of a woman well-versed in magic.

Which brought him to the kitchen immediately after dinner in search of his mother, even as an awkward embarrassment rises in Itachi. She was going to think him mad and he had to convince her otherwise.

He slides open the door and steps inside, casting a spell to soundproof the room just in case. "Mother?"

"Yes, Itachi?" She tilts her head at him. "Is something wrong? Should I be alarmed at what spell you just cast?"

"No, on both counts, I simply wished to have a more…private conversation." He shifts nervously, forming his words carefully. "One that focuses on more practical applications of magic that I believe you would be more helpful in exploring than the other immediate options."

She'd rarely seen her eldest child so…wary before. "You know that you can tell me anything, Itachi. It has been many years since we last saw each other, but you're still my son and I will keep your secrets."

This was a good sign, and it gave Itachi hope that perhaps he would find a way to have what he wanted after all. "I…wished to ask about spells that can influence the flow of life, that can…nurture it and help it grow."

"You're asking for a fertility spell?" That wasn't what she had been expecting at all. "Well, it depends who you are asking for. If it is for a human friend or a friend who isn't a vampire, there are many options available. If you're asking for a vampire…it requires more advanced and obscure magic, but it is not…impossible."

Itachi feels a burgeoning of hope inside him. "Would it work on a male vampire? Would it be possible to create a magical space inside of the body where a child could grow?"

"It has worked once before to my knowledge." She pauses. "It was nearly stricken from the records, but I did find...something once that I haven't shared with anyone."

"You did?" Itachi had searched, only to come up with hypothetical ideas all on his own, but to hear of a precedent… "Would it…work on a vampire with a fertile partner? Would a vampire who retains magical abilities be capable of sustaining a pregnancy and carry a child to term?"

"There is at least one case." She frowns as though uncertain of if she should divulge it. "Lord Indra did have a child once."

"Lord Indra…" Yes, Itachi knew that Indra had had a child, but he always thought… "I thought that when he sired our line, he had done so as a human." If he hadn't, then had Indra ever even once been human?

"No, Indra was once deeply in love with a demon, and, wishing for a family of his own, they sought out a method so that they might conceive a child together." Mikoto could hardly believe that she was disclosing this secret. "A witch named Naori aided them in this endeavor and it's why I named your sister after her. I had hoped and still do that it might endear her to him."

"He sired a child with a demon…" That sounded painfully familiar, and Itachi had no illusions as to why. "And was he the one who…carried the child?"

"Yes, he was the one who carried." Mikoto nods at him. "The records indicate that. Well when I say records, I mean the original Naori's diary."

"And the child?" Itachi had to know what became of the child. "That child went on…to sire our clan, didn't they?" Had the demon half dominated and allowed the child to be fertile? Did the blood of a demon run in the Uchiha?

"Yes, his name was Madara." Mikoto wouldn't lie to her son. "He was an exceptionally powerful, but Indra and his lover had fears that supernaturals wouldn't know what to make of such a hybrid. Since he was half demon and half vampire, he was able to blend in with humans perfectly. Moving from place to place after he didn't age after awhile. Eventually, he died in battle but he aged as a demon."

"Madara Uchiha…" Itachi knew that name well from their clan history. He was the legendary founder of the clan, and Itachi had always thought him to be mortal, the stories about him exaggerated. But if he was truly immortal, then there was every chance that he could do the same as Indra. "You're saying…that Indra is the one who knows the spell required to endow a vampire with the ability to carry a child?" Was that why he had looked for new heirs? Because he had lost his only son centuries ago? And perhaps his lover as well…?

"He would know the spell yes, but so do I." She watches him, a bit wary. "Of course, I would raise the possibility to him. If you succeed in such a spell, he'll wonder how."

"Yes, of course." But after all of the effort Indra had gone to to obtain and keep Itachi, he doubted that Indra would deny him such a thing, or try to prevent it. "He would no doubt discover the pregnancy if the spell were to succeed, but I can't imagine that he would disapprove of it." Not if Itachi's condition reminded Indra of his own. If anything, wouldn't Indra encourage the continuation of the line? And if Itachi could find a way to pass the effects of the spell down through blood…

"I doubt he would, but Lord Indra would want to know how you managed such a thing and he may not approve of me 'keeping secrets' from him." It hadn't been Mikoto's intention, but it was quite possible he would see it that way.

Itachi shifts nervously, weighing his mother's reactions thus far, unsure as to whether she had discovered his plan, or whether she was simply more open-minded than he had dared to hope. Some would call what he was attempting an abomination against nature, after all. "And you have no…moral objections to the use of such a spell on a male vampire?"

"I'd be more concerned about the safety of such a thing." She sighs as she looks at him and caresses his cheek. "You're my son. Your happiness and safety comes before convention. If this is what you desire and you are not being forced into such a thing, then I will not protest. That, and our Clan essentially is the result of this very spell. I can hardly object or I'd be a hypocrite."

So she had, and Itachi could see no judgment in her eyes. He would have breathed a sigh of relief, had he still needed to breathe at all. "Thank you…but this is not something I seek to do against my will. I…merely want the opportunity to make a family of my own with Kisame." Partly fueled by the desire to have a family when he'd believed he would never see his own again, but also because the thought of having children was one that attracted him, even if he had to carry them himself. The thought of birthing new beings who would love him and whom he could love with all of his heart was something that he grew to want more and more with each passing day.

"It will likely take your father time to grow...accustomed to the idea though." Mikoto wouldn't lie to Itachi. She had no wish to cause him anxiety, but facts were facts.

"Yes, I know that Father is quite a bit more…traditional in his views." Honestly, Itachi was surprised that the man hadn't tried to run off Kisame, immortal demon or not. "He has not said a word about my…choice in partners, nor Sasuke's." Itachi wasn't certain if that was a good sign, or an ill omen.

She smiles at Itachi. "Your father is just as happy to have the two of you back as I am, Itachi. He wouldn't come in the way of love, even if your partner choices likely surprised him. Both yours and Sasuke's."

It heartened Itachi a little to hear it, after so many years of wondering and watching alone on the rooftops. "I'm…glad that the two of you feel that way." The what ifs had tortured Itachi for so long. "I always thought that…if I ever did dare to return to see you when I was turned, that you might despise me, resent me for leaving, or even treat me as though I had died, disgraced and stricken from the family's memory." He had feared it would be so. "And…you would have been in the right. I only ever did send you one letter, and my intent was for you to mourn appropriately and move on." It was why he'd sent her his hair, tied together in a silk ribbon. That was all he had that he could send her to burn or bury as she pleased.

"Itachi, we understood why you went." Mikoto sighs as she struggles to find the words. "You would have been a fool not to. It is time to leave the past in the past though."

Itachi smiles softly at the echoing words. "Father said something similar to me today." But overcoming ten long years of conditioning within the vampire court was far from a simple task. And Itachi wasn't sure if he would ever be free of the memories and emotions that still haunted him. "It has been very difficult to spend half of my life without you. I was…lonely." His eyes burn a little, misting over as they rarely ever did.

"We missed you greatly as well." She embraces him. Hoping that the gesture would bring him comfort. "You don't have to be lonely anymore though."

"I know." Itachi returns the embrace, laying his head against his mother's shoulder, and he could swear that his heart flutters a little in his chest. This was what he had missed most while locked away like a princess in a tower. And now he would never have to be lonely again. His arms loose around her and slowly, he raises his head. "Between all of you and Kisame, I will never find myself alone ever again."

"I imagine now." Mikoto laughs softly. "Your shark does seem rather dedicated."

"Yes, he certainly is." Itachi smiles fondly at the thought of his lover. "I am, in his words, his Mate. And to his kind, there is nothing they prize more highly than their mate and children." He would always be high on Kisame's list of priorities, and it still took him by surprise sometimes.

"That's a rather sentimental notion given his fearsome smile, but I suppose that one's fangs don't indicate how...friendly someone is." She smiles.

"Indeed not." Itachi glances down at his stomach, the possibility of it growing soft and round and full suddenly seeming a great deal more real than it did before. "And no matter how fearsome his teeth might be, I'm certain that he will dote on the children just like he does me." Which did bring up several questions that Itachi felt he needed to ask. "How long do you believe it would take to cast the spell and for it to take effect?"

"I'd feel uncomfortable giving an estimate." She shakes her head quickly as a million scenarios dance across her mind. "Even amongst human women pregnancy varies a great deal and I only have one example to compare it to."

"I…suppose that's true. And I could always ask Indra about his experience with it." It was a little disheartening, but if nothing else, Itachi now had time. Not to mention a particularly passionate mate who would be more than happy to help him in this endeavor. He shifts slightly, one uncomfortable detail coming to mind. "And you and Father won't mind that they're…half demon?"

"Itachi, we're turning into vampires." She smiles at her son. "While it may take your father time to grow used to the idea that a male can have a baby at all, I doubt the species of the baby will upset him."

"…Babies, most likely." Itachi was well aware that sharks often sired many offspring at once. And if the magic were to pick up on that fact, then he could end up carrying many at once. "And if the spell turns out to be permanent, there would likely be multiple pregnancies." His mother would have many grandchildren to coo and coddle if she liked.

She smiles and nods. "I'm certain that he will love them as much as I do. I wonder if they will...have Kisame's complexion."

"Perhaps, perhaps not." Though Itachi did think that pups with light blue skin might be quite adorable, he knew nothing as to whether they would turn out more or less human in appearance. Madara seemed to have looked human enough, despite having a demon for a sire. So perhaps they took more after the vampire parent in appearance? "But no matter what they look like, I will love them all the same."

"I know you will. I feel the same way about you, Sasuke, and the twins." She smiles and kisses his forehead. "Though it was a nice bonus that you were all so adorable."

"Yes…the twins are quite adorable, as was Sasuke." Itachi couldn't really speak to himself in any objective way, but he had always adored Sasuke, and already he adored his youngest siblings as well. "I…would like to stay a few days longer with you, if that's alright." Itachi wanted to envelop himself in his family's warmth a little longer before returning to the castle.

"Itachi, you may stay as long as you like. It's been so long, we're happy to have you here. We'll always be happy to have you here." She smiles at him. "This is your home, no matter your species."

Itachi smiles and closes his eyes as he wraps his arms around his mother. "Yes…this is my home." No matter where they were or where they went, the place where his family was would always be his home.


	25. Chapter 25

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 25

It was not often that Itachi was nervous on another's behalf, but he couldn't deny that stepping back into the castle after his time away had him on edge, as much as he tried not to show it. It had taken an entire extra day after their stay had ended to decide just who would be journeying to the castle, and while Itachi and Sasuke were a given, he couldn't help but dislike how close their parents were coming to a very dangerous sect of society that ruled over all others. His foolish parents could not possibly know the true dangers of coming to this castle, even with himself and Sasuke as their escorts.

He could only hope that Kisame and Gaara would be enough to ward away any determined opponents who might appear when his and Sasuke's backs were turned. For dark shadows often prowled the castle that loomed high above their heads.

As the large carriage passes through the gates, he turns to the two people whom he hadn't expected, or hoped in a long time, would set foot in this place. His foolish…foolish mother, and his equally foolish father. "Any vampire or demon we encounter as we enter the castle will know in an instant that the two of you are human." It was a fact he had to address, no matter how much anxiety it caused him. "So do not wander far from myself or Sasuke." For now, there was safety in numbers, and Itachi would rather keep his parents encircled if they truly intended on pursuing this foolish course of action.

"We will stay by your side." Mikoto smiles at Itachi, trying to reassure him. It wasn't that they were unaware of the dangers of coming here, it was just that she and Fugaku had decided that they were worth the risks long ago. "We're not frightened, Itachi, but we're also not completely reckless."

Itachi found that it was rather foolish not to be frightened, but he wouldn't argue the point. He had long since learned not to argue with the woman who would do anything to protect her children. Even deny a vampire lord's request. "Then into the lion's den we go." Even if said lion already considered him and Sasuke a part of his pride.

Both his parents nod, but Fugaku's eyes scan their surroundings with every step. "You survived being a human here for ten years. While I know it isn't without its dangers, Lord Indra does favor you and he's not unnecessarily cruel."

"…No, I suppose he is not." Though Itachi had been lonely, he could not say that he hadn't been well looked after. When the carriage comes to a stop inside the courtyard of the citadel, Itachi opens the door and steps out and onto solid ground. "But watch yourselves, for you will find a great deal of attention directed to you." Attention that Itachi knew better than to think he could ward away for long.

He glances back to see a second carriage carrying his brother and their lovers. After all, a single carriage was simply not enough for carrying six people. Four, perhaps, but certainly not six.

As the other carriage comes to a halt, the first to step out is his blue demon, followed by the redheaded vampire, who was more than gentlemanly to Itachi's foolish little brother. But it was the demon whom had captured Itachi's attention at this moment. "Kisame…" Itachi steps towards his lover, a sense of relief falling over him. Kisame's presence always seemed to make the castle just a little bit brighter.

"Itachi, relax. Nothing is going to happen to them." He grins at his lover as he strides over and embraces him. "Everyone knows what you and Sasuke are capable of and if that's not enough to ward them off, Gaara and I will scare em off easy."

His lover would have had a heart attack by now, if he was still human. Kisame was convinced of it. Were they alone, he would reassure the other man in the most carnal of ways all would be well, but Itachi would probably frown on that sort of thing in front of his parents. So for now an embrace would have to do.

"Indeed." Itachi relaxes into Kisame's embrace, then turns to his brother and eyes him with a hint of amusement as he notes the heated look in the redhead's gaze. It seemed that there was no doubt in how the evening was going to go, for either of them.

"Itachi, you've returned." A rich, soft voice echoes about the courtyard as a seemingly young man appears before them, his spiky brown hair tied back at his nape and left to hang down to his hips. His scarlet eyes flicker over the sight of the newly returned party, then fall on the two humans emerging from one of his carriages. "And you've brought…guests, I see."

Itachi swallows thickly and slips from his lovers arms to bow cordially before his lord. "Yes, I have. These are our parents, Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha."

"It is an honor to meet you in person, Lord Indra. We want to thank you for taking such excellent care of our sons." Mikoto curtsies, as her husband bows courteously.

"It is a pleasure to meet the two of you as well, and it has been a pleasure to have your sons here at my court." Even if it had taken Itachi far longer than it had Sasuke to warm up to the idea of court life here. "I must confess that I did not expect to have guests, else I would have arranged for a feast to welcome you." After all, it would not do for Indra to prove himself a poor host when his descendants come to visit his home.

"You needn't go to such trouble on our account." Fugaku shakes his head quickly. "We do appreciate the thought, of course. Though we have come to discuss the future."

"I see." Something in the man's eyes told Indra that this future was not a matter to be taken lightly. "Then we shall discuss it inside." Best not to let any prying ears be privy to conversations where they were not wanted. "Is that agreeable?"

"Yes, of course." The other man nods at him. "Please lead the way." It would be tempting fate to discuss such things when others might be in earshot.

Indra nods and turns for the door, stepping gracefully across the courtyard as though walking on air. Out of habit, Itachi steps forward and falls into place just behind his master. It was a stretch of the castle that Itachi had walked like this many a time before, and yet, on this day, everything would change.

Itachi glances over his shoulder at Sasuke as they pass the archway leading to his and Sasuke's wing of the castle and he smiles faintly. "Go on, Sasuke. I'm sure that you're eager to find yourself alone with Gaara."

Sasuke gives his brother a look as though he was worried for Itachi's sanity. "You do not actually believe that I'm not coming with all of you." He couldn't be that far gone, could he? Perhaps being relatively recently turned was still impacting Itachi's reasoning skills?

"Very well." Itachi looks to the lover walking steadily by his side and smiles as they approach Indra's throne room. "Would you do me this favor and wait outside to ensure that none enter and interrupt us, Kisame?"

"Of course." He grins at his lover. "Ain't no one going to get passed me, I can promise you that, My Dolphin. That, and I've got Red to help me." He pulls Gaara off to stand vigil at the entrance to the throne room.

"Thank you." Itachi steps through the doors of the throne room with his Sire, and he can't help but note the amusement playing across Indra's face. "…Does Kisame amuse you, Lord Indra?"

"Yes, he does." For it was a rare demon, Indra found, that would act so childish when so in love with a vampire. But the love of a vampire for a demon was the the reason that he had guests on this night. No…if the two humans were here with their sons, then Indra was fairly certain that he knew already what their purpose here was.

So, Indra strides across his throne room to the elegant, but not ostentatious chair that sat on a slightly raised dais. To the right and left sat lower, but luxuriously cushioned chairs meant for his heirs. And, as he seats himself, he motions for Itachi and Sasuke to do the same.

Itachi glances uncertainly at his brother, but nonetheless moves to sit down at Indra's right side. The place for the eldest heir, of course.

Sasuke takes the next seat. He doesn't protest the arrangement. It was beneath him. Itachi was older and should have been a vampire long before him anyway. He was going to get his family back and he had Gaara. He didn't need to be the first in line.

"I shall be blunt. My wife and I would like to become vampires and we have made arrangements for our household. Eventually, we'd like for our youngest children to follow suit as well." Fugaku nods at him.

Well, that was certainly as blunt as the human had promised, though Indra could not fault him for being anxious to get to the point. And though it was not an entirely unexpected request, given their presence here, it was rather unexpected that they were here at all. He watches the two humans with a careful eye, ready to detect any falsehood. Thus far, there were none. "Is your wish simply to become vampires, or is it to join my court alongside your sons?"

"The latter would be our preference to be with them, as long as we could continue to see our other children once our bloodlust is suitably under control." Mikoto smiles at him, figuring it was a good sign he hadn't outright rejected their request.

"I see." Indra could not fault them for wishing to keep their family together. If only his own had been so fortunate. "Is it your intention to be here merely for your family, or to engage more actively in the politics of my court?"

"We know little of court life. So it's difficult to answer that question, but we would cause you no hardship." Fugaku pauses, realizing he needed to clarify. "At least not intentionally."

So then the two of them were here primarily for the welfare of their family. That much, Indra could certainly respect. "Very well, I will consider your request, for now. And you may stay in the castle with my protection. It will give you time to decide if you truly wish to join this court as vampires, or whether your request was hastily made." After all, one could not simply decide, once they had been turned, that they would rather be human again. Itachi, Sasuke, have you anything to say on the matter before retiring for the evening?"

"I doubt they're going to change their minds, but it was kind of you to offer them the chance to do so." Sasuke smiles at Indra before his gaze flickers to his parents. "They're just as stubborn as Itachi and I."

"Yes…it appears that such is a family trait." Originating with himself, no doubt. After all, Indra's own stubbornness in his youth had been…legendary. "Itachi, is there anything you would like to address?" His eldest heir had been quiet thus far. Very quiet, in fact.

Itachi shifts slightly and glances at his mother. "Perhaps in…more private company?" After all, he would rather break such news to his father and brother gently, assuming that it worked at all, of course.

"Sasuke, would you mind escorting your father to our private chambers? I'll be along shortly." Mikoto smiles. "There are a few matters that I'd like to help Itachi address with Lord Indra."

Indra raises an eyebrow at the development, but raises no protest. "Sasuke, your parents may have the chambers across the hall from your own. If they require anything, the servants will see that it is done."

Sasuke looks at them in confusion, but he bows. "Of course. Come, Father." He offers the other Uchiha his hand. "There is much to show you."

"Yes, it appears there is." Though a bit amused by the gesture, Fugaku takes the proffered hand. If it made his son feel better, he would indulge him in the gesture.

"Good. I'm certain you'll be quite comfortable in your chambers." Sasuke smiles at him as the two make their way off. Leaving the others to speak in peace.

At Indra's side, Itachi shifts uncomfortably. It was one thing to discuss the issue of fertility with his own mother, but to pose the idea to Indra was…something else entirely.

The fidgeting, of course, did not go unnoticed by the vampire lord, who found himself both amused and concerned by his Childe's odd behaviour. For it truly was odd, even for Itachi. So he chooses to address the mother, rather than the son. "And what is it that you wish to address? Has a problem occurred that requires my intervention?"

"No, no problem." How could she possibly explain this? "It's more that Itachi hopes to begin a family of his own and is aware that there are forms of magic that could make having a child of his own blood possible. He merely wishes for your approval before exploring such options."

Now THAT little gem most certainly has Indra's attention, and that attention falls squarely on Itachi. "You wish to bear Kisame's children, then…"

Itachi nods slowly. "Yes, I do. I had been researching the possibility on my own. And recently, Mother has told me of a way rooted in old magic that would make it possible. A way…that you yourself once employed in order to birth your own son."

"You wish to impregnate yourself with magic." Indra's gaze turns once more to the human witch in his throne room. "And you are…versed in these old magics, I take it?"

"As well versed as anyone save for yourself is." Mikoto nods at him. "I'm confident that I could do so safely, but we won't do it without your blessing and would appreciate any help you could offer us."

"It was…very long ago that such a spell was cast on me." A very long time, and yet Indra could still sense the magic of the spell humming in his veins. "And you are certain that you wish to do this, Itachi?"

So far, it hadn't been rejected, and that made Itachi hopeful. "I do. It would bring me much joy to be able to create a family of my own with him."

"I see." Indra sighs softly and nods his consent. "Very well, then you have my blessing and well-wishes." He turns his gaze back onto the witch. "It has been many a century since the spell was cast and I no longer remember it quite as well as I once did, but I will search through my personal books and discover if I recorded the process within them. If I find something pertinent, I will pass it on to you."

"We appreciate that more than you will ever know." Mikoto smiles as she bows to him. "Thank you, Lord Indra."

"Yes, thank you." Itachi breathes a sigh of relief as he rises from his own chair. "By your leave, I will escort my mother to her chambers." His heart lightens further when Indra merely waves them away. So he steps down from the dais and to his mother's side. "Come, I will take you to Father."

"That went well." The Uchiha woman beams at her son as Itachi escorts her off.

"Indeed it did." And the moment they step out of the throne room, Itachi spots his blue demon waiting outside for them. "And I'm certain that Kisame will be pleased with this development, should the spell be successful and prove fruitful quickly."

"I'm certain he'll be pleased either way." She laughs softly as she embraces him. "Kisame is rather exotic, but he does adore you. Anyone can see that."

"Yes, he certainly does adore me." For that, Itachi would always be grateful. And pleased. And perhaps a little smug at times. "Exotic is the way I like him best."

"Good." Mikoto smiles at Itachi. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy and your father will follow suit, even if it takes him awhile to grow accustomed to the idea."

"Yes, of course." And Itachi had to admit that rarely had he felt this happy. His parents might be foolish, but their foolishness was bringing his family back together. And soon, that family would begin to grow. It would grow and grow, and it was that promise that made Itachi so content. "Come, I'm sure that you're eager to be reunited with Father. We can begin preparations for the spell later."

The witch nods at him with a smile. "I'm always eager to see your father, but don't hesitate to find me. I have missed you." As much as she was loathed to let him out of her sight, Mikoto knew the reality of the situation. Between the two of them, her life was in far more danger here currently than Itachi's.

Itachi smiles in return and wraps his arms around his mother. She had always been so bright, so strong… "Thank you." And now, he would protect her and their family with all of his might.

* * *

A soft sigh escapes Itachi's lips as he closes the door to their chambers. Theirs, because Kisame had all but moved in these last few months. It occurred to him that things were progressing rather quickly. He hadn't even known the demon a year now, and he was planning on having Kisame's pups. How strangely did fate play out…

And yet, Itachi felt happier now than he ever had before. He had his brother, his parents, and one day his younger siblings as well. He had Kisame and the promise of their pups. He had a merciful Sire who intended on gifting him a large inheritance, and who had agreed not only to sire his family, but also gave his blessing to Itachi's intentions of creating a family. Everything was falling into place, and he had an eternity in which to enjoy it.

Itachi steps towards the bed, his fingers already at work unbuckling the leather jerkin to spare it from Kisame's wrath. He'd chosen one far easier to unbuckle for that very reason, in an effort to spare his clothes further from Kisame's…passions. But though it annoyed him slightly, a smile rises to his lips as he sheds the hardened outer shell. "You've been very well-behaved tonight, haven't you Kisame?"

"Well, I tried my best." He chuckles as he watches Itachi with desire filled eyes. "I didn't want to embarrass you too much in front of your folks. So how'd it go with Indra?" Itachi would tell him if he wanted to and if he didn't, well Kisame could wait. After all, his Mate was getting undressed and that was one hell of a consolation prize for not being kept fully in the loop while Itachi figured out whatever he was doing.

"It…went very well." Itachi loosens his tunic and removes two smooth leather belts from around his hips, there to hold the sword he carried with him. "He has agreed to consider the matter of turning my parents and siblings, and he has given his blessing to Mother and I as we attempt the magic that will allow me to bear your pups."

He blinks. Kisame couldn't help, but feel rather stunned. "That was quite the productive conversation. That's fantastic news." He grins at Itachi, displaying all of his very sharp teeth.

"Yes, it is." Itachi looks back over his shoulder at his lover and shoots him a coy smile. "Mother and I will be starting the spells soon. I do not know how long they will take to activate, but there is a precedent, it has been done successfully before between a vampire and a demon."

"I'm glad someone else has done it before. I'd rather not have you be the sexy guinea pig." He smiles as he makes his way over towards Itachi and wraps his arms around the gorgeous vampire.

Itachi leans back into the embrace and presses a soft, chaste kiss to Kisame's lips. "Yes, you would simply rather have my Sire be the guinea pig, then." It was an image that, in truth, Itachi found rather amusing. A pregnant Indra. "It would seem that he birthed a half-demon son long ago, one who founded my family's now human clan." If all went well, then perhaps their children might be able to produce children of their own, they could be grandparents one day, great-grandparents, even…

"Damn right, I would have. I would have paid good money to see a pregnant Indra though." Even Kisame couldn't wrap his mind around that concept and he prided himself on having an excellent imagination.

The suggestion makes Itachi chuckle. "Yes, well, I'm afraid that you will simply have to settle for finding your amusement in me instead of my Sire." Itachi glances down at his own abdomen, imagining it growing round and full. He takes Kisame's hands and laces their fingers together as he tightens the demon's embrace and guides those large blue hands over his body.

"Never settling with you." Kisame smiles as he kisses Itachi's forehead. "Besides, some half dolphin babies are bound to be as adorable as their...well, as you." Should he call Itachi their mother? Hmm. Well, he was still male. Though this was going to get confusing.

"Yes, they certainly will be. But I do wonder if they will have your blue skin." Itachi wasn't certain, and he knew nothing about what Indra's own mate had looked like, and in what ways Madara might have taken after him in looks. "Though I imagine that their lives will be considerably easier if they do not inherit your teeth."

"Your teeth are also pretty sharp though." Kisame chuckles. "Besides, no one will mess with them if they have my smile"

"I suppose that is true." Itachi smirks and deftly turns them about, applying just enough force to sit Kisame down on the soft covers of their favorite place to…relax. He licks his lips and allows his gaze to travel shamelessly down the curve of his lover's neck. His fangs were aching and he wanted to feel the force of Kisame's life pulsing within him in every way he could. "Now, will you be a good demon for me tonight?"

"I could be, but you seem to prefer me the other way." He chuckles as he pulls Itachi into his lap. "Go ahead. I don't mind when you get nippy. It's kinda sexy actually."

At Kisame's open praise, Itachi's smirk darkens with arousal. "Yes…so it seems." He could feel just how sexy Kisame thought it was. He licks his lips once more, then licks slowly along the curve of Kisame's neck and bites down to coat his tongue in the fishy taste of his lover's blood.

"Mmm…so what's the difference between human and demon blood anyway?" Kisame groans at the feeling of Itachi's teeth in his skin.

Itachi takes several long draughts of blood before detaching himself and licking along the abused blue skin. "Human blood is sweeter, but demon blood is more…potent. And yours has a distinct fishy flavor to it." He did like sweet blood, but there was just something about Kisame's that had Itachi coming back for more.

"Well, I guess that's good. You must like fish or you wouldn't be with me." He laughs as he allows Itachi to drink his fill.

"There's something to be said for the taste." Itachi's eyes grow dark with promise. "But I confess myself fond of what comes after I drink your blood." Itachi licks the last traces of blood from his lips and settles himself comfortably in his lover's lap. "But I have other reasons for staying as well."

"I'm glad you do." He grins as he captures Itachi's lips in a heated kiss. "Don't know what I'd do without my cute dolphin."

"And you'll never have to find out." Itachi sighs into the kiss, content in the warmth of his lover's embrace. For here, he could stay for eternity.


	26. Chapter 26

Thicker Than Water

 **celestia193's Author's Note:** Alright, and now we begin the true descent into full-on magical mpreg. Don't question it, just love it, and wait for the results. Cheers!

Chapter 26

Itachi takes a deep breath as he draws the magical formula on the floor in his own blood. It was safer to use his, and it still worked because of the strong magic that persistently flowed through his veins, even after his turning. The runes glow faintly on the floor as they pulse with the power imbued in them. He hadn't seen this sort of spell before, but he trusted that his mother knew what they were doing, and followed her instructions to the letter. "There, is all of this done right?"

He hoped it was. Itachi was anxious to get on with the spell. But at the same time, he knew that if he went too quickly, he might make a mistake that only slowed them down further. It was an odd feeling to feel the same level of impatience that he had once seen in Sasuke. He must look rather comical right now, he was sure.

"I'm afraid that we're not quite done yet." She smiles at her son. He was so eager for motherhood or maybe she should say fatherhood? Honestly, she wasn't really sure which. "I'll need to draw some runes on your person for this spell to be anchored towards you."

"Oh." Itachi blinks bemusedly, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The last thing they needed was for the spell to wander or drift to someone else and make them into a hapless victim of errant magic. His fingers unbuckle the smooth, hard leather he worse, before tossing it aside and tugging off his tunic. "Will this suffice?" Or did he need to remove…more of his clothing? Mikoto was his mother, and so she had, by default, seen everything of consequence when he was an infant, but now that he was grown…

"That will be more than enough. I need only to put the runes where the babe will be carried." The witch offers him a reassuring look. "The application itself will not hurt. I can not say the same for the magic. The records didn't mention any pain, but it was Indra who wore the marks and his pain tolerance is so high that...it may not be the same for you as it was for him."

He sits up and lays back on his elbows, exposing his stomach to the air. "I can bear it." Of that much, Itachi was certain. He wanted this more than he feared any pain that might come of it.

Mikoto nods at him as she begins drawing the ancient runes across his skin. "I love you, Itachi and though I know you can bear any pain that may come of it, that doesn't mean that I am not sorry you might have to endure it."

Itachi's expression softens. "…Any pain is worth having the people I love here with me." Even those that had not yet been born. He could endure whatever he had to, as long as there was hope.

"Of course." Mikoto continues applying the runes until she was done. Then she checks to ensure they were correct. Then she checks again and yet again. "I believe that everything is in place. You are a vampire. So this will not kill you." Though it could hurt and she couldn't be entirely certain what would happen afterward. Though the witch was confident Indra would assist with filling in any gaps in her knowledge later on, she would be lying if she pretended there wasn't some uncertainty lingering in the air.

"I'll be fine." Itachi smiles and sits up, though is careful not to smudge the runes splaying across the muscles of his stomach. "I'm not afraid of magic." There were many things the he once feared, but one by one, those fears were being stripped away. "I trust you."

"Very well then." She takes a deep breath as she begins the incantation that would would bestow the gift of fertility onto her eldest son, ancient words that hadn't been used in centuries.

All around him, Itachi sees the runes on the floor light up and sparkle, and within him a gentle heat begins to build. It builds slowly at first, like warming by a fire, starting in his fingers and toes, then moving up his limbs towards his center. Then a spark leaps within him and he gasps as the heat intensifies, coiling like a snake inside of him. It didn't hurt exactly, but it felt as though something inside of him were shifting about, pushing and pressing and making room when there was none.

Mikoto watches him carefully as she continues the spell. Thus far it looked like it was going well, but that was only a guess. She was nervous for her son, but this was his deepest wish. So she would do her best to see it fulfilled.

Itachi grimaces slightly as his insides churn and roll, but he does not more than that as he conjures up an image of Kisame in his mind. It was easy to remember why he was doing this, why he would do something so unnatural to himself. He could imagine holding a child in his arms, and that imagining produced a whole other sort of warm glow within him. This one was gentle, soft, and drove away all of the unpleasant sensations rolling about inside of him as the spell took hold and changed him from the inside out. Then it suffuses his skin, casting a warm glow on the otherwise cool flesh as the churning begins to settle and diminish.

"I believe we've done it." Mikoto watches him carefully. "How do you feel, my son?" Perhaps she should go and get Indra. He would know what constituted a successful use of the spell.

"I feel…" Itachi touches a hand to his stomach, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, save for the glow. But he still felt something was…different, that there was something there that certainly hadn't been there before. It was something like the feeling he once got if he ever ate too much food. He did hope it would settle, else he would never find himself able to concentrate. "I feel very…full." Full of what…he wasn't entirely sure, but it was as accurate as he could have described it.

"That feeling will diminish with time." From the doorway, Indra watches Itachi's uncertainty, just as he had silently watched the witch casting her spell. It brought back fond memories of when Naori aided him in this way. "But the spell is permanent, so you needn't worry that not longer feeling it means that it has worn off."

"That is much appreciated counsel." Mikoto smiles at Indra. They certainly needed all the help they could get.

Itachi shifts under the scrutiny of Indra's gaze as a thought occurs to him. If the spell was permanent… "Then you are still capable of having children?"

The question catches Indra off guard. "That is a technically accurate statement, but for my own reasons I prefer bonding with my descendants." After his mate's death and then Madara's, he couldn't go through that pain again. Nor could he entirely deny the allure of having blood ties. The generations separating them were enough to produce a degree of attachment necessary to keep his sanity, but meaningful enough to ward off the worst of his loneliness.

Despite his time at the castle, Itachi felt sad for Indra. It felt as though since becoming a vampire, he was growing to understand his Sire a little more. And while he would never forget the lonely years that he himself had spent in this place, he now understood why Indra had wanted him here. He could hear the unspoken words that made his heart ache. "…I am sorry for your loss."

"I appreciate that and pray that you never have to endure the same." He smiles wistfully at the other vampire. "Though we shouldn't be revisiting the past's sorrows." For they were many. "Today is a day that we should look toward the future."

Itachi's lips curve slowly into a smile. "Yes, it is." For now, their family would have the opportunity to grow further. "Is there anything that I should know before I return to Kisame?" Who would no doubt whisk him away to properly celebrate the apparent success of the spell.

"The window for conception will be almost precisely the same as for a mortal human woman. Fortunately for your case, you will not have lunar cycles." That would have been utterly humiliating, Indra muses. "I would estimate your pregnancy would last about three moons given that you are Mated to a demon. Morning sickness doesn't happen only in the mornings and the cravings will drive you half mad. There will also be days when you want to strangle your Mate and fuck them senseless...sometimes in the same moment." Yes, that should cover everything quite nicely.

For the first time since being turned, Itachi cursed the fact that though he was dead, he was apparently still very capable of blushing like a virgin maiden on her wedding night. "I…see…that does sound rather maddening…"

"All standard pregnancy symptoms regardless of species. So I'm told anyway." He pauses. "The first year you're fertility rate will match that of a human woman's, after that your vampire side will battle with it. Instead of being lucky to get pregnant say once a year, it will slow down to approximately once a century."

Itachi mulls that over carefully and nods. "I'm sure that such a thing will be useful, given that shark demons apparently sire several children at a time." At least it would give him a chance to recover and raise the children before falling pregnant with the next batch. And if he was truly so fertile for the first year, then he would certainly be pregnant before the year was out, perhaps as many as three times before the initial window closed, given that Kisame was quite affectionate. "…Is it wrong that I pity Kakashi, given that I intend to have him watch them?" If they took after Kisame with his streak of mischief…

"Probably, but you should find enjoyment in this existence where you can." He chuckles in response to the devious question.

"Yes…I'm sure that I will." Itachi touches his stomach gingerly, but finds it settled somewhat. "Though it will be entertaining to watch him chase after little half-demons while pretending that he isn't."

"Mmm, yes, I imagine it will." Mikoto laughs at the image as Indra does the same.

A soft smile plays about Itachi's lips as he listens to the two of them laugh. It was a sound that told him that everything would be fine now. Their family was together and safe, and soon…each of them would be immortal and able to spend many a century together, to make up for all the years that had been lost.

He rubs his stomach once more, watching as the runes fade into his skin. His family…soon he would be adding to it as well. But first, he would need to find himself a frisky shark demon.

* * *

The fragrant smell of rosewater fills Itachi's senses as he silently opens the door to his chambers and slips inside. There really was nothing like a good bath to relax in, especially when his personal bathing room came complete with a massive tub built into the floor. Clearly, his lover was finding a certain amount of enjoyment in his bath. Though the rosewater was certainly a new twist. Itachi hadn't thought that Kisame particularly enjoyed scented baths like he did.

"Kisame?" Itachi glances at the archway leading to his bathing room and places his leather jerkin on the nightstand preemptively, having not put it back on after the spell's ritual. Besides, if it would save it from a wretched death at Kisame's passionate hands… "Are you trying to get in touch with your more refined side? Or did you merely spill a bottle of perfume into my bath?"

He snorts at the question, but smiles as he swims over to the edge of the bath. "I figured you'd like it. Seems like the sort of thing that you'd find nice." He wasn't completely idiot. He knew that his lover had been going through a rather emotional time to say the least and a romantic bath seemed a good way to cope with the stress.

 **Warning Lemon**

"Hm…yes, I most certainly do." Itachi slides off his boots and pulls off his tunic, then drops his trousers with no regard for any sort of modesty. Around Kisame, such a thing was more of a hindrance than a help. He strides towards the bath, taking in the sight of a very naked and very wet shark demon. "Now tell me, what else have you been up to while I've been gone." He slowly descends the steps built into the side of the bath, shivering slightly as the warm water caresses his skin and makes the air feel so cold in comparison.

He tilts his head at the response. Was there something else he was supposed to have done? "Just drawing the bath and thinking of a certain pretty dolphin swimming in it really."

"I see." The corners of Itachi's lips turn up as he sinks to his waist in the deep bath. "I suppose that imagining me naked and wet must be very time-consuming. I had worried a little that leaving you alone for half a day would drive you mad."

"Well, I suppose that's one way to put it." Kisame smirks as he pulls Itachi into his arms.

Itachi hums with amusement as he finds himself enveloped in the heated embrace. "Though I must admit that this is certainly a good use of your time, I always did enjoy a long, relaxing bath." He enjoyed it even more when he shared a bath with his frisky lover. "Especially after such a busy afternoon with Mother."

"I like your mother and all, but this seems an odd time to mention her." He shoots Itachi a confused look. "I'm glad that you're enjoying your reunion with your family though."

"Yes, I am very much enjoying my reunion with my family." With part of it, in any case. But it was a weight that Itachi was glad to finally shed. "I mention Mother because she has been immeasurably helpful today. We were quite busy exploring the more exotic reaches of what magic has to offer." Itachi shifts in Kisame's arms, turning so as to have Kisame's chest press against his back. "And yes, we were careful when casting spells on me."

His brows furrow in concern. "You don't look any different to me. What kind of spells were you two casting? You've gotta be careful with that sorta thing."

"You're right, I don't look any different jut yet. But I promise that we were careful, and Indra himself was watching over us to be sure that all was well." Itachi takes Kisame's hand and glides it down over his stomach, even as he leans back and presses a kiss to Kisame's lips. "I also promised myself…that I would tell you if the spell proved to be successful. And it was."

Kisame's mouth forms a wide O. "Wait. Are you talking about that fertility spell? It actually worked? How can you be sure?" He was torn between elation and worry for his lover. That was some powerful magic.

Itachi lays his head against Kisame's shoulder and sighs contentedly. "It was not pleasant to experience as the spell took effect, but Indra believes that it worked, as does Mother. But truly, the only way to be certain…" Itachi's lips curl as he rests Kisame's hand over his navel. "Is to see for ourselves when I grow round with your pups. Indra said that the spell is permanent, and that my fertility will decrease quite drastically as time goes on, but for this first year, I will be quite fertile."

"Our pups." Kisame smiles as he kisses the top of Itachi's head and holds with equal parts protectiveness and possessiveness. "Though I guess if anyone would know, it would be Lord Indra. How soon did you want to..test the spell out?" One of his hands loosens in favor of gliding up and down the small of Itachi's back.

With a chuckle, Itachi turns about again and looks directly up into Kisame's eyes. "You haven't held back in the least since I was turned into a vampire. Why should there be any hesitation now?"

"Mmm it's a little different, but I'm really happy to hear you aren't feeling skittish." Kisame smirks as he captures Itachi's lips with his own and the demon's hands begin to roam with undisguised lust and devotion.

As if Itachi could feel skittish about the possibility of making a family of his own with this miraculous demon. "Hn." He snorts softly and wraps his arms around the demon's neck as he deepens the passionate kiss.

Kisame breaks the kiss and smiles at his Mate. "You've become quite the feisty dolphin as of late." His hand slides further down and eventually winds its way over towards his lover's arousal.

Itachi smirks and allows the possessive touch as he moves to kiss a bruise into that blue skin. "Are you trying to deny how much you love it?" If he was, then Itachi would call the demon out on it, because he knew precisely how aroused it made Kisame when he was 'feisty.'

"Never suggested anything of the sort." He chuckles as he glides his hand up and down the length of Itachi's erection. "I'm glad that you're passed that point where you try to pretend you aren't a wonderful deviant."

Pale hips thrust forward against Kisame's ministrations, seeking out the friction he craved. "You bring it out in me." Itachi's fangs graze the skin of Kisame's neck, bringing just a few drops of blood to the surface with which to coat his tongue. "I expect that you'll be taking responsibility for that?"

He groans at the sexy nip. "Oh I accept FULL responsibility gladly." Kisame chuckles as he swiftly covers Itachi's neck in sensual kisses and suggestive love bites. Making sure to do nothing more than pierce the skin as he plays with his lover's obvious arousal.

"Good." Itachi tilts his head back, baring his neck for the perusal of the sharp teeth leaving a plethora of tiny marks across his pale skin. His fingers run down along the demon's spine, dropping right down to the firm ass that he cups in his hands and squeezes with a rolling touch.

"Very good." Kisame rumbles with pleasure as he moves slightly in favor of leaving a trail of hot kisses down the gorgeous canvas that was Itachi's chest.

Itachi reaches one of his hands back and presses it against the rounded edge of the bath, holding himself steady under the onslaught of intimate affection. He runs his fingers through Kisame's hair affectionately. "It seems that you are taking the news about our future pups about as well as I'd expected."

"You are definitely a sassy dolphin. Of course, I am." Kisame chuckles as he decides to 'punish' Itachi in one of the most sensual of ways by wrapping his mouth around the other man's cock.

Pale fingers tighten in the blue hair and Itachi allows a tiny moan to escape as he thrusts up into Kisame's mouth. "Fuck…Kisame." He had long since lost the urge to pant and gasp, but Itachi's body still rolls in a wave between where he braced himself against the rim of the bath and where Kisame was sucking so expertly on his cock. "How are you so good at that?"

"Talent." He chuckles, causing gentle vibrations to sing in harmony with the attentive licks that his tongue was now lavishing Itachi with.

The vampire's back arches off the bed as his rich moans add depth to the symphony of sensation and sound thrumming inside of him. "Agh…!" A strangled, drawn-out groan passes his lips to join the others as the knot inside him snaps apart and releases the pressure building between his thighs.

"You're such a musical dolphin. Always singing for me." Kisame chuckles as he watches the glory that was Itachi locked in the bliss of sweet surrender. "You feeling more like you want caressed or ravished? I'm good with either."

"Must I choose?" Itachi's blood sings with pleasure as his mouth hums with contentment. "I'm sure that you'll have done both by the time the sun rises again tomorrow." But if he insisted… "Caressing is all well and good, but I rather feel like celebrating, don't you?" And did Itachi ever have reason to celebrate. "I want you…to make love to me as though it is our last night in this world, and as if it is the night that will never end." He loved this romantic side of Kisame, but he wanted the fire as well, the passion, the heat that would sing in his veins for the rest of his immortal existence.

"Just remember that you did ask for me to fuck you proper when you can't walk right for the next fortnight." Kisame growls in approval as he pushes his lover on his hands and knees, sliding two fingers inside him. The sooner he could prepare Itachi and be inside gorgeous vampire, the better.

Another groan spills from Itachi's lips as he leans his forehead against the slick wooden floorboards around the bath. "Yes, I'm sure that I'll remember this for several months." He presses back, his muscles rippling with the effort of pressing against the strength of Kisame's body. His wet, dripping skin shimmers in the light of the candles set all around the bath.

Kisame smiles as he pumps his fingers faster and strokes his lover's cock with his other hand. "You've got to be the most beautiful creature that I've ever seen." It probably defied some law of nature, but Kisame was quite alright with that. He'd always been a deviant at heart anyway. "Now, let's hear you scream." And he was going to prove that by making the vampire beg for him.

"Kisame…Kisame…Kisame…!" Itachi knew how much his lover enjoyed hearing his voice, and so if Kisame wanted him to sing, he could certainly indulge the demon. As if he had any control over it anyway when Kisame touched that place deep inside of him that coaxed the song from every fiber of his being.

"You know, I never cared that much about my name until I heard you scream it." The vampire could make anything sound erotic, Kisame decides as he teases his lover until he was just on the edge of release. "Do you want me to fuck you now or play with you some more?"

Itachi casts his glowing scarlet gaze back over his shoulder, letting it smoulder as it falls on his lover. "Take me now…hard…and slowly…" He wanted to savor this for as long as he was able.

Those two things normally didn't go together, but Kisame was damn sure willing to give it a try. "Anything for you." He removes his fingers only to sheathe himself deep inside his hot, tight lover. "Fuck!" How could anything be better than this, Kisame wonders to himself as he slowly thrusts inside Itachi again and again.

"Yes!" Itachi's fingers twitch, clenching against the wooden slats as he felt every inch of Kisame's cock rubbing inside of him. It was slow, almost torturous, but the anticipation only heightened his sensitivity and focused the pleasure acutely each time Kisame buried himself deep enough to strike his pleasure spot. "Harder!" He wanted Kisame buried so deeply inside him that the demon could never pull himself out.

"Perfect." Kisame snarls in ecstasy as he slams into his beloved harder and harder. "How are you so perfect?"

Itachi would have answered, but his voice merely came out as a pleasured cry. It was not he who was naturally so perfect, but Kisame who made him that way. Held and molded and shaped Itachi and believed him perfect in how he had changed and grown. "Fuck, Kisame!" Only together was this perfection created, and only together would Itachi consent to be.

"Don't hold back." Kisame nips his ear as he pounds into his lover furiously. "I want to watch you lose control."

Pressed against the side of the bath, his chest flat against the floor, Itachi cries out in ecstasy, his heart full and mind spinning with nothing but love and Kisame within them. His cock bobs and throbs, spilling his release into the warm bathwater as his face contorts with pleasure, and his body heats and trembles with the shock of it.

There was nothing more stunning than witnessing Itachi in the throes of passion. "Mine!" It was hard to believe this wonderful being underneath him was actually Kisame's Mate. How did he ever get so lucky? He didn't know and well, his body would process that later. Kisame couldn't hold it back anymore as he releases his seed into his lover with a roar.

A gentle, satisfied smile curls Itachi's lips, but as he pulls forward and dislodges Kisame so that he can turn over onto his back, he smirks. "What was that about me not being capable of walking for the next fortnight? I do believe that my legs are still more than functional." As was his brain. And though Itachi would never say it out loud, he did rather like the blissful state in which his mind was no longer entirely functional.

 **End of Lemon**

"That was only the first round." Kisame growls with promise as he flips Itachi over and throws the vampire's legs over his shoulders. "Let's start the second."

Itachi's gaze darkens with lust and pleasure. "Yes, let's." And by everything both holy and less so, Itachi loved this demon above him. Nothing would ever be able to compete with the promise of spending all night every night in Kisame's arms. What had started out so rocky and uncertain had tumbled and smoothed into something perfect and beautiful. And nothing was more so than his and Kisame's love.


	27. Chapter 27

Thicker Than Water

Authors' Note: Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 27

Itachi would be lying if he said that he wasn't anxious and that all was well. But for his little brother's sake, he would pretend that he wasn't bothered at all by the fact that it was only last night that their parents had disappeared with Indra. At least the had been given some time to get used to the castle before being whisked away in the dead of night. Itachi also supposed that it was a good thing that he and Sasuke had barely been speaking when he was turned, or Sasuke might have been ready to jump out of his chair when it was time for Itachi's turning.

He taps his fingers along the arm of the sofa, stretching out like a cat along its length. "So, what have you and your redhead been up to while Kisame and I were…busy?" Busy indeed as the two of them had made rather enthusiastic use of every piece of furniture and every free space in their chambers.

"Gaara's been teaching me more about vampire culture." Mostly the kind that occurred between the sheets, against the wall, on the floor, in the baths, or…actually, this could go on for awhile.

A chuckle escapes Itachi's lips as he eyes the slight flush on his little brother's cheeks. "This was not the kind of cultural lesson that would be appropriate to hold a lecture on in the middle of the court, then?"

"Depends who you ask. Some of the court might find it an enjoyable lesson to listen to." Most of the court, probably. "I prefer to learn these sorts of things in private though." Sasuke wasn't the sort to put on that sort of show for others. Though he was pretty sure that Gaara would have been thrilled to present the entire court with a sexy spectacle.

"Yes, I'm sure. Though I doubt you'd like for that to happen in front of the newest imminent additions to the court." Itachi could only imagine the looks on their parents faces if they caught him or Sasuke in a compromising position, especially in a 'public' setting.

"I'd say the same for you and Kisame." Sasuke scoffs as he crosses his arms in a huff. Itachi knew exactly what he was implying about Gaara. Now, his brother was just teasing him.

"True, but thus far I have had more success than you in concealing just how much my lover enjoys my company. But when faced with you, all one need do is question and poke a little, and you blush like a rose." Itachi leans towards the other couch and pokes at his little brother's forehead. "You should work on better concealing your emotions, foolish little brother. Your face always gives you away."

"The entire castle knows that you and Kisame are lovers. It's all over your scent. Just because you wear a mask doesn't hide that." Sasuke glares at him. He did not blush like a rose. "That, and if someone wants to make an issue of my relationship with Gaara, they'll be the ones 'blushing' like a rose. If by blushing you mean drenched in their own blood."

"I suppose that is one way to settle the issue, but a mask is required when entering politics, Sasuke. I thought I had told you that." Itachi huffs softly and shakes his head at his foolish sibling. "If you wish to protect yourself from snakes in the grass at court, a mask is-" Itachi's words cut off as a wave of nausea comes over him, prompting him to bring a hand to his mouth in an attempt to steady himself.

"Itachi, are you alright?" Sasuke rushes to his brother's side. Something was wrong. "Vampires don't get sick. Have you been poisoned?"

"No, I can't have been, I-" Another wave of nausea stops Itachi's mouth in its tracks, even as his mind whirls with possibilities. It was true that vampires didn't get sick, but he couldn't have been poisoned. Kisame would have known if there was poison in their food, and they shared all of their food with one another. The food was never off, except perhaps that morning when Kisame brought him breakfast. But even when he'd remarked on the odd smell and taste, Kisame assured him that there was nothing wrong with it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he notes the shimmering rune on the back of his left hand. It pulses once, twice, then a third time before fading back into his skin. No…it couldn't be, could it?

"It's alright. We'll get you to Indra. He'll know what to do." Sasuke takes his brother's hand and starts leading him out of the room. The concern on his face as easily read as letters on a page. "Don't worry."

"Get me a bucket." The truth was dawning on Itachi, and if nothing else, he knew that he needed one thing right now. "Or a basin." He just needed something to throw up in.

Sasuke quickly grabs a flower vase. "Sorry. There's no bucket or basin." He watches his brother with growing alarm. What the hell was happening to Itachi?

Itachi barely has time to remove the flowers from the vase before losing his breakfast within the beautiful ceramic vessel. He sinks the the floor with it, retching uncontrollably as he empties his stomach. He had been warned and he had thought himself prepared, but there was simply no preparing for this. He takes a deep breath and looks up to his little brother. "There's…no need for alarm, Sasuke." Though it's all he can mange before retching again. His stomach was growing uncomfortably warm, nearly confirming his suspicions on its own.

"Itachi, you're a sick vampire. I think there's every need to be alarmed. This shouldn't be possible." It was kind that his brother sought to comfort him even now. "Let's get you to Indra. We'll figure this out." Whatever this was because Sasuke knew one thing for damn sure, this wasn't normal.

It takes another deep breath to steady himself before Itachi can speak again. "I'm not sick, Sasuke." Itachi's lips curl slightly as the nausea begins to subside enough that his empty stomach no longer feels as though it wishes to turn itself inside out. "I'm…" It was so unbelievable that Itachi could barely comprehend his own words. "I think…I'm pregnant."

"Itachi, I think Kisame screwed your brains out." That was just impossible. "You can't be pregnant for two reasons. First of all, you're a vampire. Vampires can't get pregnant and even they could, MALE vampires definitely can't get pregnant. The closest we could get is Siring someone. Even then, you wouldn't get Morning Sickness. Come on. Let's get you looked at. You've clearly been poisoned."

Itachi grasps Sasuke's hand tightly in his own as he cautiously sets the vase filled with sick aside. "There's an ancient spell that allows a male vampire to carry a child. Indra knows…he used it as well. I had Mother cast it on me over a month ago."

"…Is this some kind of joke?" Sasuke stares at Itachi blankly. "I mean I know you're a genius, but I'm not sure even you are this creative. Or what the purpose of such a jest is…"

Perhaps it did sound rather unbelievable, but Itachi wouldn't jest about such a thing. He squeezes Sasuke's hand to reassure him of the truth. "There was some doubt as to whether it would work or not, but there is precedent. Indra carried and birthed Madara, our ancestor, as a vampire. I didn't know if it would work again for Kisame and I, but now…" Now there might very well be a child growing within him. Maybe more than one.

Sasuke eyes Itachi warily. "You're actually serious." It shouldn't have been a possibility, but Itachi had defied the odds before.

"Yes." Itachi couldn't blame Sasuke for his reaction. It was something that, as Sasuke had argued, should be impossible. And yet…wasn't that precisely what magic was for? To make the impossible possible? "I just…hadn't expected the morning sickness that Indra and Mother spoke of to be nearly so intense." His throat burned and his stomach still flip-flopped about like a hyperactive puppy.

"Well, in that case, I suppose we really should see Indra. As the only other male vampire to have gotten pregnant that we know of, he might be able to help you manage the symptoms." Sasuke nods at him, he still couldn't truly wrap his mind around what was happening, though.

"He'll be watching over Mother and Father now." Their parents were likely in transition and Itachi didn't like the idea of pulling a guardian away from them. But it seemed that he might very well require his Sire now. "…Would you…find Kakashi and tell him what's happened? He could watch over them in Indra's stead."

"Better off asking Gaara. I still don't care for Kakashi. I'm certainly not going to trust him with our parents." Sasuke rolls his eyes. "We'll figure it out though." He begins dragging Itachi off. "Gaara can handle two newborns."

Despite himself, Itachi hums with amusement as Sasuke vamphandles him towards the bedchambers he shared with his shark demon. His demon who was busy this morning attending to Lord Nagato. "You are determined not to forgive Kakashi, aren't you?"

"Damn right." Sasuke nods at Itachi as if that should have been obvious.

Fortunately, it wasn't far from Itachi's chambers that Sasuke spotted his lover strolling towards them, a bemused expression on his face. "Perfect. Gaara, can you please go to Indra's chambers and watch our parents? Itachi needs to speak with Indra immediately in private. They need someone to look after them while the two of us seek his counsel."

Gaara raises an eyebrow, his aqua gaze flickering over the sight before him. "Yes, I can do as you ask. But should I be concerned that you are dragging your brother about like he is a doll whilst demanding to see Lord Indra?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet." Sasuke sighs as he looks at his lover with pleading eyes. "It's complicated. I'll explain later. I promise."

"Very well." Gaara steps forward and presses a kiss to Sasuke's cheek, then casts a wary glance at Itachi before sweeping back off down the hall towards the wing where Indra's chambers lay.

Itachi rolls his eyes as he steps towards the doors to his bedchambers. "You know, you need not act as though I might be dying, Sasuke." He pushes one door open, using Sasuke's grip against him as he tugs his little brother inside.

"After what you just told me, I don't know how you expected me to act!" Sasuke glowers at Itachi as their roles are reversed and he's drug around.

Alright, maybe Sasuke had a point there. Still, it wasn't as though Itachi's news was particularly earth-shattering. It was just…a surprise, that's all. He releases his wrist from Sasuke's grip and tugs at the cuffs of his sleeves with a hint of nervous excitement as he seats himself on the edge of his bed. "Does it frighten you, Sasuke? Knowing that there is magic that exists that can allow a demon to sire children with a vampire?"

"Yes, it does because you're putting your life in jeopardy. I'm glad that Lord Indra had a successful pregnancy, but that only lessens my worries for you. It doesn't erase them." Sasuke wasn't completely naive. While he was certainly no expert of the subject, he knew as much as most men about pregnancy. Enough to know that it could be a risk for mortal women. This wasn't a normal pregnancy, though. It was a magical one. One that Sasuke didn't entirely understand. "I'd love to be an uncle, but I don't want to lose you." Especially not so soon after they had reconciled.

Itachi huffs softly and pats a spot beside him on the large, comfortable bed. "Come here, Sasuke."

Sasuke sits on the bed as he looks at Itachi. "Alright. I'm here." He didn't know what more there was to say really. The younger vampire could understand Itachi's desire to have a child of his own bloodline, but that didn't make his brother's actions any less reckless.

A smile curls Itachi's lips as he runs gentle fingers through Sasuke's hair and brings their foreheads together is a gentle, intimate touch. "You are not going to lose me Sasuke, not this time." After everything he had survived thus far, Itachi was not going to allow a spell and magical pregnancy to end his life. "I know that I have not been the elder brother that I aspired to be when we were children. But while it warms my heart to see you so worried for my health, I promise you that I will be fine. I am a vampire, and what might kill a human no longer poses such danger to me."

"Well, it seems too late to change your mind now." Sasuke sighs. Maybe Itachi couldn't die from this. At least, he hoped not. Though that didn't mean there wasn't danger involved. "I just hope that you'll be able to keep that promise."

"I told you before, Sasuke. I will never lie to you again." And Itachi was intent on keeping that promise above all others. "If it truly starts to become too much for my body to handle, I'm sure that Kisame will chain me to this bed and refuse to allow me to do so much as get up to go take a bath without him. Between him and Indra, I will be well-looked after."

"Are you trying to make me mimic your getting sick?" Sasuke scowls at him. "The image of Kisame chaining you to the bed is not one that I needed."

Itachi chuckles and mirth gleams in his dark eyes. "Well, I hadn't quite meant it in that fashion, but if it will reassure you or make you stop coddling me so closely, I could certainly give you other such images to think about."

"I'm most assuredly going to be ill. Perhaps I should leave you to Indra's care and see if Gaara requires my assistance with our parents." Sasuke scoffs.

"If that is what you wish." Itachi allows his hand to fall back towards the bed, pausing only for a moment to press his lips to Sasuke's forehead. "I'm sure that our parents would appreciate seeing you when they wake." And he could already hear his Sire's familiar footsteps striding down the hall towards them. "I'm sure that Lord Indra will take very good care of me."

"You're right. I'd ask if you are sure you want to speak with him alone, but you'd likely consider that coddling and attack me with more unsavory images." Sasuke rolls his eyes as he heads to the door.

Itachi chuckles once more. "I believe I can handle speaking with my Sire alone." Particularly now that he better understood Indra's mindset, even if there remained scars from wounds inflicted accidentally. "I will see you later, Sasuke."

Sasuke nods in acknowledgment and then makes the most discreet exit he could. Of course, he was well aware that Indra likely knew what had just transpired. Still, the elder vampire wasn't cruel enough to call him out on it as Sasuke darts off and Indra enters the room mere seconds later.

Itachi smiles sheepishly as he folds his hands in his lap and watches his Sire's approach. "My apologies for pulling you away from my parents. Sasuke panicked a little earlier and decided that I needed to be looked after."

"Well, I can hardly blame him for responding that way." Indra looks at Itachi. "Should I take this to mean you believe yourself to be with child?"

"What I believe is that one of the vases in the sitting room is now in need of being cleaned." Itachi smirks with a hint of cheek in his expression. "But…yes, I can think of no other reason that only I would be losing my breakfast when Kisame found no poison or spoiling in our food this morning."

"I see. I did warn you of such things. How can I help you?" Indra smiles at him. "You're glowing already."

"Yes…it seems that the magic has begun making me glow." Itachi's cheeks pinken slightly. He''d heard of women glowing during pregnancy, but he'd thought it was a joke, really. He couldn't remember if his mother had glowed when she was pregnant with Sasuke. It was so long ago… "Is it…obvious?"

"Only because I know what to look for. The idea that a man, let alone a vampire could get pregnant is practically unheard of. No one else knows at this point besides those you wish, I can assure you of that much." Indra smiles comfortingly.

"I see." Itachi touches his stomach gently, feeling it still flat underneath the soft leather he'd taken to wearing just in case. "Is there a way to know for certain, or can you simply sense it?"

"After a while, your stomach will expand to such a degree that you can't help but know it. There are of course old wives' tales for mortal women, but I'm not sure how accurate they are given your unique situation. Given that you've already begun getting sick for no other apparent reason, I'm inclined to believe you are already expecting." Indra places his hand on his Childe's shoulder.

"Yes…" He was already expecting. Or at least, it was likely that he was. "Should I wait before telling Kisame?" that way he might know for certain before getting his lover's hopes up.

"I would wait until you know with absolute certainty. Even if you somehow aren't now, I doubt it will take overly long before you're expecting." Indra shakes his head in amusement. "Kisame seems quite attentive."

"That would be quite the understatement." Itachi laughs softly as he presses his hand firmly to his stomach, searching for recognition of the signs of life within him. Kisame was more than simply attentive. After all, not a day had gone by since hearing the news that Kisame neglected to grace their bed with his presence. "Very well, I will keep the knowledge to myself and trust that Sasuke will not inform Kisame for me." His foolish little brother seemed wary enough of approaching the demon, for fear of witnessing any overly intimate scenes.

"I'm quite certain that Sasuke would not divulge your secrets." Indra nods with confidence. He couldn't imagine such a thing.

"Not unless he believed my life were in danger." After the earlier display, Itachi found himself a little surprised by how insistently Sasuke worried over him. It was almost as though they were children again. "Is there anything that can be said to reassure him? He seemed very anxious when I told him of my potential condition."

"Itachi, you should have considered that sort of thing before becoming pregnant. I'll do my best to reassure him, but as much as I do not wish to put a damper on your happiness…concern, shock, happiness, and even disgust are going to be the common reactions. You're somewhat lucky that he's just concerned."

Itachi huffs softly and folds his arms across his chest. "The shock, I expect from everyone but yourself, Mother, and and Kisame. The disgust, I already expect from the court. I merely want to be sure that Sasuke does not worry himself sick over my health. I have already caused him enough pain and I do not wish to cause him any extra anxiety."

Indra suspected it was too late for that, but didn't wish to say so. "In any case, I shall speak with him on the matter and see what I can do to soothe his fears."

"Thank you." Though, speaking of his family, Itachi did have other worries plaguing him. "How are my parents?"

"They haven't awakened yet, but it is still far too early for such things. All the signs do seem promising though." He watches Itachi carefully for signs of distress. "Neither of them tried to change their mind at the last minute as mortals are want to do. So, I did find that impressive. I handled the situation with as much finesse as I was able. It was not a painful process for them."

"Good." Itachi glances up into Indra's glowing scarlet eyes. "…I am…sorry for how I reacted when you decided it was my time to be turned. My humanity was one of the very few things that still connected me to my clan, and I feared the consequences of finally severing those last few bonds."

"I'll admit that your reaction did pain me, but I understand why you were reluctant to become a vampire. I should not have forced your hand into it." He pauses for a moment as if searching for the right words. "That was wrong of me. It does seem as though that things have worked themselves out for the best. You've accepted your vampirism and have even gone so far as to seek out to continue your line as a vampire."

"Yes, it has worked out for the best." Though Itachi would admit that it was a difficult road to get here. "But…now I understand why you were so insistent on having me here, and I cannot blame you for wanting a child here with you to soothe your heart." Perhaps if they had spoken about it when he was a child, Itachi might have spent his years here happily, rather than darting through the shadows, trying not to be seen or heard.

"Well, I never said I wasn't a selfish vampire." Indra forces himself to chuckle. "I'm glad that you have found your happiness though."

Itachi's finges gaze gently over the back of Indra's hand and clasp over his Sire's cool skin. "Yes, I am happy now. I have my family and my mate and you, and soon there will be little children for you and Mother to coo and cuddle."

He laughs at that. This time it wasn't forced. "I am Indra. I do not 'cuddle,' but I will enjoy their company all the same."

"Yes…of course you don't cuddle. I suppose they will merely have to settle for the cooing." Itachi smirks cheekily, his skin almost glowing with happiness. "But if you do wish to cuddle them, I promise that I will not tell the court that you enjoy it. You do have a reputation to protect, after all."

"That is rather kind of you. I do not cuddle though." Indra laughs. It had been quite sometime since he had done so to such an extent. The action was almost foreign to him now.

Itachi's heart warms with the glow and he couldn't resist one last poke. "So, what would you prefer the children to call you when they're grown enough to speak? Grandpa? Great-Grandpa? Poppy? Ojii-chan?"

"Well, I imagine that grandpa will be easiest for them. They wouldn't really understand the distinction between Fugaku being their grandsire and my being further removed for quite some time. Grandfather or Indra are also acceptable." He nods thoughtfully.

"Good, then now you will know that I tried before they decide on their own what you are to be known as." Itachi would try, of course, but if the babes decided that they would rather make their own names for Indra and Fugaku, he doubted he would be able to stop them. They would be Kisame's little demon-spawn, after all.

"I do appreciate the attempt and understand children have a mind of their own." Indra smirks in understanding.

"Yes, indeed they do." Itachi rubs his stomach fondly. As much as it was a new and slightly worrying step forward, he was looking forward to the coming months. After all, he would soon be adding to his family, the one that was finally coming back together.


	28. Chapter 28

Thicker Than Water

 **Authors' Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 28

Pale fingers lace together a soft leather jerkin slowly and carefully. Itachi had decided not to wear hard leather for the foreseeable future. As comfortable, practical, and fashionable as it usually was, he didn't wish to put unnecessary pressure on his stomach. Not now that he'd waited long enough to know for certain that the spell had been successful. Thus far, only Sasuke and Indra knew, but Itachi knew for a fact that he would not be able to keep his condition concealed for much longer.

He takes a breath and presses a hand to his stomach, feeling the barely noticeable curve developing there. He would tell Kisame soon, he could promise himself that much. But first, he would be there for his parents as the Uchiha family invaded Indra's court for the first convening in the months since his own turning. Together, they were stronger. It was time for the court to learn as much.

His hand drops from his stomach as he hears footsteps approaching from around the corner leading to the bathing room. Itachi's lips curve into a smile as the familiar blue skin of his demon mate appears before his eyes. "Are you nearly ready?"

"I've been ready. I didn't see a reason to rush you when you were putting on such a show for me." Kisame chuckles as he slaps the other man's ass playfully.

Itachi rolls his eyes and turns about to press a kiss to his demon's lips. "You think that everything I do is a show for you." Not that a great deal of it wasn't, but Itachi digressed.

"Doesn't make it any less true." Kisame smirks. He was such an adorable sulking dolphin sometimes.

"So you say." Itachi runs his hands up Kisame's arms and cups his lover's cheeks. "Come, it's time for us to collect my parents and little brother and join Indra in the great hall."

The demon kisses Itachi's hand and nods. "Alright. Let's go. Don't know much about your folks all that much, but Sasuke is almost as impatient as you."

Itachi shakes his head and pulls Kisame through the doors to their chambers and out into the hall. "He is far more impatient than I." It was a fact that Itachi found both aggravating and endearing. "I have the patience of a saint."

"For most things, yes." Kisame kisses Itachi and pulls away with a sly smile. "For others, well it'd be rude to keep such a cute dolphin waiting. Now wouldn't it?"

A soft pink flush tints Itachi's cheeks as he rolls his eyes and strides down the hall. "Well, one can hardly blame me for losing a great deal of that patience when I have such an attentive lover."

"Yep. I never said it was a bad thing." Kisame winks at him. "We still shouldn't keep your folks waiting though."

"Indeed." Itachi flicks his hand, his fingers crackling with magic as he causes the door to Sasuke's room to open a hand's breadth, then slam shut again. He then raises his hand to knock on the door to his parents' new chambers.

Mikoto didn't waste any time in answering it. Surprisingly enough though, she looked rather flushed and it was apparent her robe had been throne on rather hastily. "Did you need something, my son?" She smiles at him.

Itachi blinks once, twice, then sighs heavily as his cheeks flush a slightly darker pink. "…It's nearly time for dinner. Indra is expecting us before the court tonight." But apparently he wasn't the only Uchiha whose libido increased dramatically after being turned. Perhaps he should ask Sasuke and discover whether it had happened with him as well.

"Oh yes, of course." The newly turned vampiress seemed to find her feet fascinating at the moment. Likely because she knew that Itachi realized what had caused her to appear in such a state. "We'll make ourselves presentable and be there at once."

"Very good." Itachi pointedly ignored the scents coming from within the room as he turned towards Sasuke's door, behind which there was no shortage of angry cursing. "Perhaps a quick bath might be an idea. You could be fashionably late that way."

"Yes, I was including that in making ourselves presentable." She laughs softly before placing a quick kiss to his forehead and shutting the door behind her. The sounds of footsteps could be heard, presumably heading towards the private baths in their bedchamber.

"Well, I suppose that we know where you got your stamina from." Kisame tries his best not to guffaw, but it was a losing battle.

Itachi shoots an irate glare at Kisame. "You're far too amused by my family's sexual habits." At the very least, Itachi could get some amusement of his own when the redheaded vampire opened the doors of his and Sasuke's chambers and strode out looking impeccable. Itachi had no doubt that Sasuke looked considerably less so.

However, Sasuke had apparently learned from his elder lover's example. He too looked quite presentable. "Were you trying to break down the door with that spell?"

"No, I was simply summoning you to dinner." Itachi tilts his head towards their parent's chambers. "It appears that Mother and Father will need some extra time to ready themselves before appearing before the court."

"I could have told you that much." Sasuke shrugs as if it was only to be expected. "I'm glad to see their bond hasn't wavered, though."

"Indeed, if anything it has strengthened." Though his little brother's hair still did look a little disheveled, Itachi had to admit that he cleaned up well. "Tell me, did you have difficulty when you were first turned without a lover by your side? It's rather curious that it seems a common reaction in our family to be more affected by lust than bloodlust."

Sasuke's cheeks take on a slight pink hue. "My desire for intimacy was greater, but I was more focused on other things. I was able to...endure it." And now, he had Gaara. He didn't have to worry about such things anymore.

"Interesting…" Then perhaps it truly was something in their blood that made them so susceptible to that particular outcome. Itachi would have to investigate further later. "In any case, come. It wouldn't do for all of us to be late for dinner."

"Alright." Sasuke looks at Gaara. "You ready?" Itachi was right. It wouldn't do for them to all be late. Newborns being late was one thing, but the court knew he and Itachi were perfectly in control of themselves.

"Of course." Gaara wraps an arm around Sasuke's waist and smiles into Sasuke's neck. "Are you? Tonight is going to be rather important for your family."

Sasuke shivers at the feeling of Gaara's lips on his neck. "I'm ready, but try not to distract me so much." The red head had a talent for that.

"But it is such fun distracting you." Gaara leaves a lingering kiss on his lover's pale skin before slowly drawing away. "Now, shall we?"

"Tease." Sasuke growls and his eyes flash red. "I'll make you pay for that later, let's go."

Itachi chuckles at the sultry look on the redhead's face as his little brother snaps at Gaara. It seemed that, at the very least, dinner was not going to be boring tonight.

* * *

A formal dinner was all well and good, but Itachi found that he was beginning to enjoy these less formal functions where one was considered strange if they did not get up and move about to the various tables, sampling the array of both dishes and conversation. It allowed him to pick and choose who he allowed to be close to him, and whom he could ward off with a single flicking of his fingers with the threat of magic dancing across them.

And, as Kisame had been beckoned over by Lord Nagato to speak privately some time into the evening, Itachi found himself left in the peaceful company of Nagato's lady, the blue haired vampiress who had been too busy to accompany him the last time the court came together. "Lady Konan." He grants her a polite bow, more than he accorded most other vampires who watched him these days. "It is good to see that you are well."

"It is good to see you as well." She returns the gesture. "I'd ask if you were well, but I must imagine that you're pleased by all these developments as of late. Your family has joined you in becoming vampires and you've found yourself a lover."

"Yes, I have been quite fortunate." Itachi glances at his parents who remain under the watchful eye of Lady Temari whilst Gaara and Sasuke mingle appropriately. "Sasuke and I have also been rather busy, as I'm certain you've heard." While Hidan and Orochimaru were the most public of the deaths he and Sasuke had caused, they were certainly not the only ones. No fewer than six other vampires had met their fates in the last five months alone.

She eyes him carefully at that. "Yes, you and your brother are certainly descended from Indra. That much is certain."

"We do a great deal to protect our family as well as our friends." Itachi smiles softly. "For friends are few and far between, and family is even rarer in this place. Too many hold a dagger behind their back, waiting for the right moment to strike. But I am glad that it is your lord that Kisame has chosen to serve."

"As am I. Though it seems he favors you these days." She laughs softly. "It's alright. I suppose it amuses our Lord that Kisame has fallen for someone."

"More than fallen, I would think." Kisame practically lived in Itachi's chambers these days. Their relationship had truly soared to unseen heights, and now…now the two of them were creating a family together. "Kisame is all of the missing pieces that I needed."

"I can see why he was charmed by you. You are a romantic." Her eyes dance with mirth.

"He brings it out in me." Itachi plucks a pair of sweets from the platters before him and rolls them over before popping one into his mouth and swallowing the peach-flavored treat. "…He brings out all of the best things in me. He's…special in that regard."

"Kisame is most assuredly one of a kind." She nods in agreement. Who would have ever guessed the shark demon would fall in love with a handsome vampire?

"Konan." A hand slips around the vampiress' waist as the old, red-haired lord returns from his sojourn with his bodyguard. "Have you been playing nice with Itachi?"

"I've been exceptionally nice to him." She glances at Itachi. "Haven't I been nothing but the epitome of civility?"

"Very much so." Itachi chuckles and reaches out for his lover, his gaze remaining on the vampire lord. "Thank you for returning him to me. I almost feared that I would have to begin making my rounds of the room without him to safeguard my virtue."

"I fear for anyone who dares to so much as look at you the wrong way. Kisame is quite the efficient guard." Nagato laughs softly as Kisame weaves around him to join Itachi.

"Yes, so I've noticed." Itachi's smile grows a hint of a smirk as his lover draws closer. An odd feeling washes over Itachi as his eyes begin glowing red. "Kisame, I'm craving a little of my favorite fish."

"Well, technically I'm a shark." He smiles as he pulls Itachi into his arms. "As long as I'm your favorite though, I won't argue much over labels."

"This coming from the demon who can't tell the difference between a vampire and a dolphin." Itachi snorts as he turns about in Kisame's arms and kisses along his lover's neck, before sinking his fangs into that firm blue skin.

Kisame groans. "I can tell the difference. Only difference is outward appearance." Fuck. He'd never seen Itachi bite him in public before. Why was this such a turn on?

Itachi knew well that they were getting more than a few interesting looks, but nothing was going to deter him from the blood he craved now. It ached inside of him, shooting right through his core. The blood flows over his tongue and each swallow serves to help sate his sudden hunger. When he does see fit to detach himself, he does so in a slight contented daze. "Much better…now, shall we go and check on my parents before making our excuses and retiring?"

"That sounds like a fine idea to me." Kisame was all for making excuses at the moment. He was more than eager to get Itachi back to their room. He wasn't sure what had come over his dolphin, but the shark demon intended to make the most of it.

"Very good." Itachi takes Kisame's hand and wraps it around his waist. He nods to Lord Nagato respectfully. "I hope to see you again soon."

"Likewise." Nagato chuckles with amusement as Itachi strides away with the shark demon wrapped around every one of his fingers.

Itachi's gaze drifts about as he searches cooly for his parents before spotting his father hovering protectively over his mother as they engaged in conversation with a pair of minor nobility. "It seems that they've already begun ingratiating themselves to the court." That, or they'd begun playing the game of twisting immortals around their fingers. Either end suited Itachi just fine.

"It does seem that way. They have been preparing themselves for this for a long time from my understanding." Kisame nods as he watches them. "Does that displease you?"

"It worried me at first, but…no I'm not displeased." Itachi relaxes happily into Kisame's hold. A smile plays about his lips as he witnesses a smirk making itself known on his father's face. Clearly, things were going rather well over there. "It makes me very happy to have my family here growing."

"I'm glad. Didn't know my own parents that well, but it's clear you love yours. They make you happy. That's what matters most." Kisame nods at him.

"Thank you." Though, that did rather raise a question that Itachi had been meaning to ask now that he knew of his particular condition. He glances about to find Indra returning his gaze. Good, if Indra was keeping an eye on his parents, then he could leave without causing a fuss. "Shall we walk through the gardens to return to our chambers? I'd rather not run into any of the guests in the halls."

"Sure." He smiles as they head towards the gardens. "It's a beautiful night."

Itachi looks up as they pass out the hidden back door of the hall and smiles as he admires the scattering of stars across the sky. "Yes, it is." The perfect night for him to tell Kisame the truth. A truly beautiful truth. He steps just out of Kisame's embrace, but remains holding his lover's hand as he guides his demon through the garden and towards an exquisitely carved stone bench. "How time flies…" He couldn't be sure how long he and Kisame had been together, it felt like all the time in the world had passed and yet, no time at all. "You've been here with me…over a year now."

"Yep. Best year of my life and that's a long life." Kisame chuckles as he caresses Itachi's cheek. Clearly, his dolphin was feeling sentimental. That was okay, though. Kisame didn't mind sappiness as long as it was from him.

After squeezing Kisame's hand tightly, Itachi takes a deep breath and seats himself carefully on the bench. It takes a moment to find a comfortable position where the jerkin doesn't press against his stomach too hard, but when he does, he looks back up into Kisame's eyes. What he had done to deserve this demon, Itachi didn't know. "Kisame, there's something that I've been meaning to tell you. I just wanted to be sure first."

"What is it?" He tilts his head. That sounded serious. "Are you alright?"

"Apart from a bout of morning sickness that had Sasuke fussing over me…yes, we're perfectly fine." Itachi smiles and takes Kisame's hands and press them gently around his stomach. "The spell worked perfectly."

Kisame's eyes widen. He almost couldn't believe it. They had been trying, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon. "You're sure?" Well, he probably should have in retrospect. They had been rather...affectionate towards each other. It was only a matter of time. Still, it was shocking for reasons he couldn't quite articulate.

"Yes, I can feel the magic twisting up inside of me. And I've just barely begun to show." Itachi would guess it had been a month since their conception, far enough along into the three month time frame Indra had given him for it to be plausible. "Indra knows and he suspected it to be the case as well when I started becoming sick." Itachi smiles almost wryly now. "I managed to hide it well enough, didn't I? You thought my extra trips to the privy were just for preening."

"To be fair, you do have a lot to preen about. That's wonderful news, Itachi. We're going to be fathers!" Kisame beams and spins his Mate around in joy.

"Y-yes, but-" Itachi's head begins to spin under the force of Kisame's joy. And it did not do very kind things to his stomach. "Please don't spin me!"

"Oh. I'm sorry." Kisame gently sets him down. "I guess the spinning thing doesn't go well with Morning Sickness."

"Indeed not." Fortunately for Itachi, he had gotten a spell out of his mother just before they had cast the spell on him. His hand glows briefly as he magically suppresses the motion-induced nausea. "I can keep it temporarily at bay so long as it doesn't surprise me." Which it had several times now, but that wasn't the point. "But it's best not to aggravate it." He had enjoyed the blood and sweets on the way down, but he doubted he would love them as much if they came back up.

He nods in understanding. "Well, that's good news. Do you have any guesses what we'll have?"

"Hm…" Itachi hums softly as he sits back down on the stone bench. "I'm not sure. "I know that your kind often sires many at once, but that mine tends to have single births, so…perhaps one of each." Itachi couldn't imagine more than a handful growing inside of him, unless shark demon babies were born on the smaller side. In fact…perhaps they were. "Though no matter how it may turn out, I'm sure that there will be plenty for me to teach them with regards to the fine art of swordplay." Itachi smirks smugly at the thought of their last bout. "I can't very well say that your style contains much in the way of finesse, after all."

" Perhaps not, but it gets the job done or else you wouldn't be pupped." Kisame smirks.

Itachi laughs at the lewd turn of the conversation. "I suppose that's true." Pupped. He'd been pupped. It was odd thinking of it that way, but he supposed that as a demon's mate, it only made sense. "Though I fear that the birth itself will require a bit more finesse than either of your styles of swordplay." After all, he couldn't very well give birth the way that a woman would.

"Lord Indra probably knows more about the matter than either of us. I know enough about how females give birth, but males...well, that's another matter." He laughs.

"True enough. He told me several days ago how it will go, when I knew for certain that I was pregnant." It had seemed a little terrifying at first, but Itachi had come to make peace with his near future. "But you must promise me that you will not try to kill Indra when it comes time for the birth."

"Why would I try to kill Indra?" Kisame looks at his beloved with confusion shining in his eyes.

Itachi chuckles and rises to his feet once more. "I'll tell you in the morning. For now, I simply want to celebrate with you as is proper for the delivery of such news." He pulls his mate towards him and seals their lips together in a searing kiss. "Please?"

Kisame kisses Itachi and pouts a little. "That was cruel of you to bring up the topic, but not to finish what you were saying. I'm willing to let myself be distracted, though. Just as long as you do a good job of it."

"I always do a perfect job, don't I?" Itachi smirks as he trails kisses down Kisame's neck. "Or would you disagree with that statement." His fingers trail even further down, rubbing steadily against the place where he could feel Kisame's cock beginning to harden. He must have begun getting worked up while they were still inside the great hall.

"Never, which is why I don't mind being distracted." Kisame chuckles deeply and wraps Itachi up in his arms.

"Good, now if you wouldn't mind carrying me back to our chambers…I'm afraid that I've had a rather long day on my feet." Perhaps it was too soon to use the pregnancy card for such a thing, but Itachi felt like indulging himself tonight. "You wouldn't have me and the pups walk all the way back to our chambers on foot, would you?"

Kisame chuckles as he scoops Itachi up into his arms. "You're right. You shouldn't have to walk all the way back to the chambers and exhaust yourself and our pups."

Itachi rests his head against Kisame's shoulder, still smirking slightly. "Of course I'm right. That is why I said it." Now, he envisioned a great deal of pampering in his immediate future. For as much as Kisame liked to tease him, his mate really was more than attentive enough to make Itachi feel as though he was the center of the world. "I love you, Kisame…"

"I love you too." He smiles and kisses the top of Itachi's head as he carries his Mate off. "So very much." He was rather happy with the idea of secluding him in their 'den' for the next few months.


	29. Chapter 29

Thicker Than Water

 **celestia193's Author's Note:** Warning, magically-enabled mpreg equals c-section. You have now been warned.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter. Warnings will be listed before and after the delivery scene. So you can skip it or read it as you wish. The plot won't be changed. Happy reading.

Chapter 29

Itachi lays back on his pillow throne, his eyes dancing with amusement as he runs a hand over his rounded stomach and watches his mate carefully arranging a platter of foot for him. It was becoming an all too common sight these days. Ever since Itachi had broken the news to Kisame about the pregnancy, he had found himself inundated with pillows and food. He wondered if such attention was usual for Kisame's kind, or if this was a quirk unto Kisame himself.

Still, it was rather nice to be so pampered and protected by a dedicated mate. More than once, Kisame had gotten out of bed to hold Itachi's hair as he upended his stomach or gone to the kitchens to fetch something quite odd when Itachi was struck with a craving. Several cravings were repeated, and Itachi had found that he was growing quite fond of deviled eggs and raspberry puree. Together. What a good mate he had who humored his cravings with only good-natured ribbing. And who apparently remembered a number of his craving foods, as he notes a number of them appearing on the platter.

Soft lips curve into a gentle smirk. "Kisame, are you trying to feed me or fatten me?" Some days, it was rather hard to tell. And as much as Itachi himself didn't require food, it seemed that the children did and they demanded a great deal of it.

"Feed you and the babies. I'm pretty sure you're carrying more than one. You, my adorable dolphin, are starting to resemble a cute beluga." Kisame chuckles as he kisses his not so little dolphin. "Go on and eat."

A laugh falls from those curving lips as Itachi presses a chaste kiss back against Kisame's lips and plucks a sour pickled plum from the plate and places it within a roll of bread alongside a half ladle of stew. "I think I have moved well past beluga by now." Itachi brings the rolls to his lips and savors the rich savoury, sweet, and sour concoction. "Thankfully, I believe they've fallen asleep now. They're such mischievous pups, not that I would expect any less from children you sired." There was no more roiling movement that made Itachi more likely than not to lose his lunch. For now, anyway.

"Yep. Those are our pups. Course they might just take after you before I screwed some good sense into you and be fretting about things they don't have to worry." He smiles at him, watching Itachi eat happily. His instincts were pleased by being able to properly take care of his Mate, even if the situation was unorthodox.

"Then I will hold them close and sing to them and help their worries drift away." Though Itachi doubted that the children would ever suffer the sorts of fretting that he had. He and Kisame were going to spoil them absolutely rotten. Itachi moves slightly, shifting closer to Kisame and rolling over onto his side over a couple of pillows. "I think that they would enjoy that, don't you?"

"I know they would. You have such a beautiful voice." This was especially the case when Itachi was screaming his name.

Itachi's gaze lights with pride as he continues to pluck pieces of food from the plate, emptying entire patches of bread and meat and cheese, as well as a few oddities like his deviled eggs and raspberry puree, and the apple-stuffed lamb braised in milk with garlic and cabbage. "Yes, you love hearing my beautiful voice, don't you?" A fact that never ceased to amuse Itachi after the fact. "If you like, perhaps we could-" Itachi freezes in place, a piece of bread coated in cheese and lamb halfway to his mouth as he stops speaking entirely.

"Yes, I do." Kisame smiles at Itachi only to notice that his beloved had frozen. "Itachi, are you alright? What's wrong?" Why had his beloved dolphin stopped talking in the middle of his sentence?

As Itachi's stomach begins to warm under his hand, Itachi places the piece of bread back down on the platter and carefully pushes it away as calmly as he can manage. "Kisame…would you please go and fetch Indra and Mother for me? Also, the bed will require the magic-laced sheet in the cupboard be placed over it to prevent staining."

"Are you having the pups?" Kisame's eyes widen. "Is your water breaking?" Did water even break in male pregnancies? He didn't know. "N-Never mind, I'll go get them. I'll be back soon. I promise!" He kisses Itachi's forehead and darts off faster than even the speediest of vampires. "LORD INDRA, LADY MIKOTO, ITACHI NEEDS HELP!" With all the subtly of a bull in a china shop.

Unperturbed by the rampaging demon in his castle, Indra strides out of the library and raises an eyebrow at the large blue demon racing down the hall. He takes a step forward, appearing two hundred feet away and just in front of the charing demon, his long brown hair swaying about behind his back. "Calm yourself, Kisame. Itachi is ready to give birth, I take it?" It was about that time, Itachi had been growing quite large as of late.

"I think so. He asked me to get both of you." Kisame nods dumbly. He didn't know what to say or do, other than follow Itachi's instructions.

"I will fetch Mikoto and what we will need. Return to him and prepare the bed. Keep him calm." Indra's gaze flicks over Kisame and he smirks slightly. "Or perhaps have him keep you calm. Everything will be perfectly fine."

"I'm perfectly calm…I'll go back to him." Kisame scoffs as he flits off to do exactly that. Itachi needed him. He'd deal with the gentle ribbing later.

Indra shakes his head as the young demon races back off to attend to his mate. Young love, how beautifully it bloomed. Kisame's presence made him wistful for days long since passed, days in which he found himself in Itachi's position, waiting to give birth to the most beautiful child he had ever seen.

* * *

Itachi had just finished placing the platter of food on the bedside table and had taken up the piece of bread and meat and cheese that he had set aside once more. There was nothing now to do but wait for Indra and his mother to arrive. Though perhaps he could prepare a little more, at least.

He holds the bread between his teeth as he works to unlace the front of the loose tunic that he wore. He has chosen this shirt especially for this moment, as it was easier to unlace from the front than pulling the fabric over the top of the head.

He finishes the job just as the doors to his chambers open hurriedly and his mate comes pelting inside. Itachi removes the bread from his mouth, takes a bite, and swallows it carefully. "I'm sorry, I did not mean for you to panic, Kisame."

"I wasn't panicking. Besides, it's you I'm worried about." He smiles and caresses his cheek. "We'll make sure you and our family are safe. Indra's done this before. Everything is going to be okay."

"I know, and I know what to expect." Which was part of what worried Itachi. "Now Kisame, promise me that you will not attack Indra. As you've said, he has done this before. He was where I am now, but he knows precisely what needs to be done for the children to be born."

"I won't attack Indra. He knows the best way to help you through all this." He couldn't afford to attack him. "I know he's just trying to help."

"Good." Itachi breathes a sigh of relief and slowly tugs the tunic from his shoulders. "Bring me the sheet in the cupboard, would you? It has been spelled to catch the blood and keep it from staining the bed."

He nods and gets the sheet. "Alright. Well, that's one thing down." Probably the only t hing useful he could do in this case besides getting Mikoto and Indra, but it was something.

"Good." Itachi shifts as his mate spreads the sheet out over the bed, then rests himself back down atop it and lays carefully back against the pillows. The door opens once more and Indra strides into the room, accompanied by his mother. "Thank you for being here, Mother."

"Where else could I possibly be?" She smiles at Itachi. "Sadly, I think it's probably safer to keep your father at bay. There will be some blood and this is all still a rather foreign concept to him. Once he sees the pups though, he'll know all is well."

"Yes, I know." Itachi smiles softly in return, then casts his eyes on his Sire and to the long thin sword at his Sire's hip. "Thank you for your help in this matter."

"Of course." Indra strides towards the bed, one hand going to the sword at his hip. "Kisame, I would ask that you move further towards Itachi's head. You may continue sitting on the bed, for he will need to feed when he begins losing blood."

"Yes, of course." Kisame takes a deep breath and exhales slowly before sitting next to Itachi. "You can drink as much as you need. Don't worry about hurting me. I'll be alright."

Itachi closes his eyes and leans his head against Kisame's forearm. "I know. You're strong."

 **Warning Delivery Scene**

Indra waits a moment before leaning carefully over the bed and drawing his sword. He traces a line down Itachi's stomach from sternum to navel. "I will cut here. Mikoto, bring a washbasin of warm water and some towels from the bathing chamber."

Mikoto nods and fetches everything in the blink of an eye. She sets the basin down on the other side of the bed and piles the towels on the sheet.

Itachi's eyes stay firmly shut as he feels the sword slicing into his flesh. It digs slowly, shallowly, and the pressure that he had felt build up within him begins to release as blood dribbles down his stomach. He feels Indra withdraw the blade and place his hands on either side of the mass of magic energy sitting with Itachi's body and he splits it easily with a hint of magic from his own fingers. There's silence for a moment, before the air is punctuated with a number of loud, throaty cries.

Kisame's eyes are torn between Itachi and those cries. Wanting to make sure Itachi was alright and getting a glimpse of the pups. There were two of them. No wait, three of them! THREE PUPS!

Indra removes the first squirming child and hands him off to Mikoto. "Your first is a boy." He reaches in for a second and chuckles. "And your other two are girls. Congratulations."

Itachi opens his eyes groggily, the loss of blood beginning to get to him as he watches his mother clean up his children as his Sire hands over each of the girls and presses his hands to Itachi's stomach to aid the gaping wound in closing. "Kisame…" He needed blood if he was to heal. He needed Kisame if he was to feel warm again.

"Go ahead and bite. Drink as much as you want." He pulls Itachi into his arms and cradles his mate until his head was by his neck. "Most direct blood flow. Drink."

Cool lips brush along the demon's warm skin and Itachi bites down, letting the taste of his mate's blood flow over his tongue. Yes, Itachi had known what he was in for when Indra had told him about what it would mean to give birth this way, but it still took so much out of him now that the magic was escaping his body as quickly as the blood.

Fortunately, the potent power of Kisame's blood helped to warm Itachi's cooling form and stitch together the skin of his stomach. With the way that Indra was carefully massaging each inch back into place, Itachi was sure that he wouldn't even have a scar there from the birthing. And the marks from his stretching skin would also fade with time, he was sure of it.

Itachi continues to drink until the pain had dulled to a gentle ache, then removes his fangs and smiles against Kisame''s warm skin. "Thank you."

Cool lips brush along the demon's warm skin and Itachi bites down, letting the taste of his mate's blood flow over his tongue. Yes, Itachi had known what he was in for when Indra had told him about what it would mean to give birth this way, but it still took so much out of him now that the magic was escaping his body as quickly as the blood.

Fortunately, the potent power of Kisame's blood helped to warm Itachi's cooling form and stitch together the skin of his stomach. With the way that Indra was carefully massaging each inch back into place, Itachi was sure that he wouldn't even have a scar there from the birthing. And the marks from his stretching skin would also fade with time, he was sure of it.

 **End of Delivery Scene**

Itachi continues to drink until the pain had dulled to a gentle ache, then removes his fangs and smiles against Kisame's warm skin. "Thank you."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you. Not the other way around." Kisame smiles at Itachi, caressing his cheek before turning his attention to Indra and Mikoto briefly. "Are they healthy?" Itachi had looked so frail that Kisame knew that he needed to feed. Now that it looked as though his Mate would be well, he had to know if their pups would be as well.

Indra chuckles and washes his hands in the blood-tinged water of the washbasin, before then picking up one of the swaddled, burbling infants. "Normally I would be concerned for an infant with blue-tinged skin, but in this case, I doubt it is because any of them cannot breathe." They most certainly could if their birthing cries were anything to judge by. He holds out the bundle to Itachi, who takes it into his arms. "There is one of your daughters."

"One of our daughters…" Itachi sighs softly and leans against Kisame as he gazes down at the little bundle in his tired arms. It was true. She appeared almost human, but if you tilts her towards the light, there was just a slight blueish shimmer to her skin. It was even more prominent under the raven black wisps of hair on her head. She seemed very small for a baby, but perhaps demon children were simply born smaller. "She's beautiful…" He looks to his mother rocking the other two. "Can I…see them?"

"Yes, she is. She's just like you in that way." Kisame smiles as he kisses the top of his Mate's head, looking down at the tiny pup with wonder. "A small one, but you know sometimes they say they have the sharpest bite to make up for that."

"Of course." Mikoto smiles as she carries the children over. "Kisame is right. They're beautiful. I wasn't sure if they were going to breathe or not. Being half vampire…I'm not really sure what we can expect." She doubted Indra's lover had also been a shark demon. "Here you are. They're so precious." She places the other two children in Itachi's arms. "Remember to support the back of their neck."

"Yes." If they hadn't been so small, Itachi never would have been able to hold all three of them at once. As it was, he made do with that room he had in his arms and his lap. He gazes down at their son in his lap, his head held up carefully by Itachi's thigh as their little princesses nestle into his arms. "Haruto. Akiko." The little princess in the crook of his right arm smiles a wide, toothless smile. "And Chiaki." The princess in his left arm laughs and waves her tiny arms, her toothless smile suddenly growing a set of tiny, razor sharp teeth for a moment, before they retreat back into her gums. "…I am now rather glad that I will not be nursing them myself."

Kisame beams proudly. "They're beautiful names, Itachi. It suits them. As for their teeth, well those are just instinct. They automatically retreat when they nurse to make it more…comfortable for the mother or their other father in this case. Still, bottle feeding works just as well. Lord Indra do you think they'll want milk, blood, or both?"

Indra smiles as he gazes down at the tiny dark-haired children in his Childe's arms. Who could have guessed that a shark demon would mix so well with a vampire? They appeared human in all respects, rather like Itachi with his hair and his eyes, and yet Kisame's contributions in the sheen of their skin and the retractable teeth were unmistakable. "I believe that perhaps milk laced with blood would be best for them. I have asked the kitchens to begin preparing the mixture. The first batch should be arriving soon."

"Perfect." Kisame smiles as he looks at his family. "They're lucky they seem to take after Itachi more, but I'm glad they got my teeth. No one will mess with them."

"Yes…if nothing else, they are more than capable of terrifying the court if it pleases them." Itachi rolls his eyes, but settles back down to watch his babies coo and burble fondly. These bright little lights of his were everything he could ever have asked for.

Indra sheathes his sword at his hip and watches the new family fondly, his memories transported back to a happier time. Perhaps…he could have that happy time again now. "Come, Mikoto. Let us leave the two of them to become better acquainted with their litter. It is important to allow them to bond in peace." And Kisame would likely begin feeling very territorial soon, so the last of the cleanup could be left to him.

"Their litter?" She rubs the back of her head in a sheepish way. "Is that really what we're calling my grandchildren, but I suppose you're quite right, Lord Indra. Come we should inform Fugaku, Sasuke, and Gaara of this wonderful news. They're likely worried sick about them." She walks over to the vampire lord.

"We'll be back later. I'm so proud of you, Itachi. Oh and I'm very impressed that Kisame didn't faint. Your father did when I had you and Sasuke...and the twins. Actually, he faints a great deal whenever I give birth." Mikoto frowns at the thought. Now, that she thought of it, it was something of a tradition. "Fortunately, he has a very hard head. So, he's never gotten seriously injured."

Itachi chuckles, recalling vaguely the instance from his childhood when he had learned that his father had fainted during Sasuke's birth. "Yes, I am glad that my mate has more emotional fortitude when it comes to childbirth than yours does. However, even if that were not the case, Kisame is also endowed with a very thick skull."

"Judging by the fact you had triplets, I'm assuming he's well endowed in many aspects." Mikoto laughs softly as she's escorted off by a chuckling Indra.

A vicious pink flush coats Itachi's cheeks, but he merely huffs impatiently and wiggles back across the bloodstained sheet. His sink still felt sticky from the rivulets of blood that were drying against his skin, but even that couldn't dampen the euphoria he felt after producing three beautiful, healthy children. It didn't negate the exhaustion from the loss of blood and magic either, but that would recover with time.

Three tiny, beautiful, burbling infants. Itachi almost couldn't believe that they were actually here, despite carrying the three of them these past few months. "…Well, we're certainly going to have our hands full with them." Not only were they mischievous in the womb, but they had Kisame's teeth. That was just asking for trouble.

"That's alright. Like you said, WE'LL have our hands full. Besides, I'm certain Lord Indra, your parents, Sasuke, and perhaps even Gaara will assist us if things get really scary." Kisame nods as he looks at their daughters. "Of course, I fully expect they'll be able to scare away unwanted suitors on their own, but I'm willing to assist if it gets too annoying for them."

"You're assuming that I won't get to them first." Despite his exhaustion, Itachi smirks. "Try not to take all the fun from me, I did just birth them, after all."

"Oh I'm sure we'll have lots of fun with them and each other." Kisame smirks at his Mate and then looks at the triplets. "They're miracles. Nothing cuter than dolphin babies."

Itachi rolls his eyes. Of course Kisame would call them that. "That is never going to die, is it?" Likely, the fact that they all shimmered with a blue sheen would only make the nicknames stick.

"Never. It suits you and you look so irresistible when you sulk." Kisame grins at him, displaying all his teeth.

Irresistible? Itachi groans softly and tries to wiggle away from his mate. "Oh no, not after I've just had these three cut out of me. Kisame, I love you, but you WILL resist." Otherwise there was no way Itachi was going to be able to sit, let alone walk.

"Itachi, I'm not that much of an animal. I'm not going to ravish you immediately after childbirth…" Kisame looks at him and shakes his head. "Honestly."

Itachi snorts softly, but consents to stop wiggling away and instead lays his head on Kisame's shoulder, his eyes fluttering shut. "I suppose that you're right." He sighs almost dramatically. "But it's too bad that they decided today was the day. Before these mischievous little ones made their appearance, I was actually planning on seducing you."

"The sacrifices one makes for their pups." Kisame sighs. Damn it. "Well, they're worth it. I just hope you heal up quickly. Then you can seduce me all you like."

"Is that so?" Itachi's eyes glitter playfully. "Then I will do my utmost to heal as soon as I can. And perhaps I will let Sasuke learn lesson or two regarding childcare so that I can have some time to properly unwind."

"I always knew that you were a genius." Kisame smirks at the idea. "Yes, I think that's an excellent idea. I'm sure the pups will have a wonderful time with Uncle Sasuke."


	30. Chapter 30

Thicker Than Water

 **celestia193's Author's Note:** Now, finally, we come to the epilogue. This story has come a long way since the request we got for this fic and took a lot more twists and turns than we'd originally mapped out. It's been a long, heart wrenching journey to get here, but now, everything is working out for everyone. We present to you a fluffy happy ending with a family reunited and hope and love in the air.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews and giving these unconventional pairings a chance. We hope you enjoy the grand finale to Thicker Than Water. Oh and please feel free to check out our other stories, if you're interested. We've got collaborations and solo fics.

Chapter 30

A warm summer breeze blows through the castle grounds as a pair of beautiful rings shimmer in the vibrant colors of the sunset, one silver and adorned with an onyx stone to protect against the rays of the sun, the other made of twisted gold set with a watery blue opal alight with the colors of a sunset over the ocean. Both were beloved, but it was the latter that came as a token of love, and not of necessity.

Itachi smiles softly as he leans against the archway leading out into on of the terrace courtyards. This was a place that had once been an escape for him. Now, however, it was filled with happiness, light, and life. Itachi wouldn't have it any other way.

"Uncle Sasuke! Uncle Sasuke!" A tiny girl with long, raven black hair tied back in a loose braid and a bluish tint to her skin races towards one of the cushioned lounge beds set out along the inner edge of the courtyard. Her vibrant red tunic catches the wind like a kite and Itachi can't help but chuckle at the sight. Chiaki was such an excitable pup, just like her father in some respects. "Uncle Sasuke! Play with me!" She jumps for the bed where his little brother lay with his lover and Itachi covers his mouth to stifle a louder chuckle when his daughter lands squarely in her uncle's lap.

Sasuke blinks and yawns as he stretches. His niece had woken him up for a soothing sleep. She was far too adorable for him to be angry, though. "Alright. What do you want to play? Itachi, what are you feeding these kids?" They were so damn…hyper.

"Blame their father, Sasuke. They take after him." Of course, it was Itachi who had the taste for sweets, so perhaps he passed on that predisposition to them.

"Be a bear and carry me on your back!" Chiaki grins widely. She loved it when her papa played bear with her. Her uncle was even more fun because of all those faces he'd make.

Gaara smirks as he rolls over and cracks open a single aqua eye. His hand comes to rest on his lover's hip. "It sounds like the little princess has issued a command, Sasuke. Shall you be leaving me behind to humor her?"

Sasuke playfully rolls his eyes as he bestow a kiss upon his beloved. "For a time. I'll be back soon enough. One can hardly refuse a princess's requests. Can they?"

"Yes, very much so." Gaara presses into the kiss and plants a firm smack against Sasuke's ass. "Now go have fun, Sasuke."

"I'll get you back for that later." Sasuke smirks. "For now, I've got a niece to indulge."

After reclaiming a small sliver of his dignity, Sasuke darts over to the excitable hybrid and allows her climb on his back. "Alright." He issues a mock roar as he proceeds to run around with her clinging to his back. "You definitely take after Kisame."

"Faster! Faster!" Chiaki squeals with delight as she clambers up higher on Sasuke's back and issues a high pitched 'roar' of her own.

Sasuke goes faster and faster. Chiaki was a little daredevil. The child loved nothing more than going fast. Probably something to do with the shark demon blood, he suspected.

Itachi shakes his head at the sight and turns his attention over towards where his other two pups were batting at one another with wooden swords. Haruto took the craft a little more seriously, whereas Akiko just liked being able to hit something. Particularly if that something was her brother.

Truly, his children were such unexpected mergings of him and Kisame. And for it, Itachi loved them all the more dearly. Even if Akiko did like to hit her brother, and Chiaki enjoyed parading around on Sasuke's back like Sasuke once had on Itachi's. "They're such precious little pups." Itachi sighs softly and strides out across the courtyard to join his seated Sire in watching the children practice their swordplay.

"Yes, they are. I remember when Madara was their age." Indra chuckles as images from long ago dance across his mind's eye. "He would have sulked like a wet cat had I said so, but he was quite adorable."

"It's difficult to imagine that the fearsome ancestor that I grew up hearing stories about would sulk in that fashion. Or that he was an adorable child at one point." The way Itachi had heard it, Madara had practically sprung from the womb with a sword in hand. Now he knew better, for he knew from whose womb that child had sprung. "You like watching the little ones running about."

"Aye. Which is just as well considering how much they do seem to revel in doing so." He shakes his head in amusement. "I suppose that surprises you. Best not to let this hobby of mine become public knowledge. I do have a reputation to protect."

"Of course, though I believe that you should be more worried about their tongues wagging than mine." Itachi wouldn't put it past his children to finally spill Indra's deepest, darkest, most cuddly secrets to the entire court. The fact that they had not yet done so in the ten years since their birth was nothing short of a miracle in itself. "But it's good to see that they love you as I do." Even if it had taken Itachi time to come to this point.

"They are well compensated to keep my confidence. Where do you think they got their training swords and tiaras?" He snorts as if the answer should have been obvious.

"Not to mention the new cases in their bedrooms in which to keep their gifts." Itachi wasn't blind, he knew that there were more gifts than simply those. "And the new tunics and belts and boots, and those dresses that Akiko never seems to wear, but that Chiaki likes to steal out of her closet."

Indra shrugs. There was no point in denying it. "They come from a noble bloodline and as such are entitled to certain privileges."

"Meaning that you enjoy spoiling them like the doting Grand-Sire you are." Itachi had long since learned how to read through Indra's supposed indifference. The truth was that the vampire lord was much softer than he cared to admit, at least in public. "But it makes them happy to be so spoiled and their happiness is all that I desire."

"I don't believe it's spoiling. It's rewarding them for good behavior." He nods at him. "Anyway, when are you planning to tell Kisame?"

Itachi blinks, then his cheeks pinken as he shifts an arm into his lap. "How did you know?" He hadn't told anyone, and yet…Indra knew.

"I have my ways. Shall we leave it at that?" Mirth dances in his eyes.

"Of course you do." Itachi huffs softly but considers the question seriously nonetheless. "Soon. I doubt I could keep it quiet for much longer." Kisame would find out one way or another, so Itachi would have to fess up soon enough. "I'm sure that the children will be thrilled."

Indra nods in understanding. "Yes, most children do love it when someone smaller than them comes along."

A smile dances across Itachi's face as he holds a hand against his stomach. "Yes, and I'm sure that Obito and Naori will just as enthusiastic as Sasuke in humoring the little ones." Speaking of his youngest siblings… "Where did those two get off to, anyway? The last I saw of them was at dinner."

"Oh they're off training with your parents. Learning how to use their fangs properly and feed. Things of that nature. They've both taken quite well to being vampires." Indra smiles, remembering they had been turned not that long ago. His family really was being reunited.

"Of course they are." Itachi lays himself down tiredly to watch his two feisty pups. "I'm glad that they are here with us." Many years ago, such a thing would have caused Itachi no end of despair. But now, he had his whole family here, and they were quite a force to be reckoned with in Indra's court. "I do still miss the rest of our clan, but I'm certain that Shisui is doing an excellent job leading our human relatives."

"I'm quite certain he is as well and if you really wished to see them, you could." He did try to make this as easy on Itachi as possible. His human mind was still there sometimes, though.

"I suppose. I have been writing letters to him, asking after the clan. He has five children now." Itachi could hardly believe that it had been long enough for that, but the eldest was nearly sixteen years old. "I might see soon if he would accept us into his home for a visit. He knows that we're safe, and he still holds us in his heart. I invited him to come, but he says that his duty is to look after the clan for us, and so he will stay to live his life and die with them."

Indra nods. He respected such a decision. "I hope that he lives a long life for a human and doesn't com to regret his choice."

"As do I." Itachi sighs and closes his eyes. "But he may yet change his mind. When last he wrote, he said that his eldest son and daughter had some interest in joining us here." Perhaps one day, they might transition from a clan of humans into a clan of vampires. Now wouldn't that be something?

"That does sound interesting. Though perhaps we should focus on you telling Kisame that our number is about to expand once more in the immediate future." Indra tries his best not to laugh, but it was difficult.

"Ah yes…he will be so smug when he hears of it." Itachi rolls over onto his back and opens his eyes as he gazes up at his Sire. "I suppose my fertility has not yet quite dropped to the once a century mark that you predicted." Though he suspected that the curve towards low fertility was not quite as steep as he had been led to believe. "How many do you think I will be adding to our number this time?"

"Probably one or two, considering how early it is for another pregnancy." Indra pauses as considers the situation.

"Two would be manageable." Itachi hums softly. "Though I can't help but wonder if Kisame's kind can truly sire nearly a hundred offspring at once. I can't imagine carrying a hundred within me, I'm quite certain that I would burst."

"Due to physical limitations, I find it doubtful that you would ever sire that many at once." He snorts at the very thought. Indra did love the children of his line, but a hundred was just ridiculous. Itachi had to know this. "So, I wouldn't fret on it."

"At once, perhaps not, but if Kisame continues on like this, I'm sure we'll reach nearly that many eventually." They did, after all, have a great many centuries ahead of them, and Itachi wouldn't be adverse to birthing a few dozen children so long as he had time to recover between each pregnancy. "It is only when he leaves to see to Lord Nagato that I get any peace at all." Not that Itachi didn't enjoy Kisame's attentions, he did. But when his mate got carried away, Itachi often found himself confined to his chambers for days at a time.

Indra shakes his head in amusement. "You're most fortunate to find yourself a member of such a happy union."

"Yes, I am." Itachi was more than fortunate, he was downright blessed. Kisame had brought him love and children, had stood by him while his family put itself back together, and tirelessly handled each and every one of Itachi's moods. It was more than he could have ever asked for, and Itachi was never going to let him demon go. "He has been the catalyst that brought me happiness."

"Papa!" Itachi barely has a moment to blink before a fast little shadow pounces on him in the blink of an eye, followed closely by a second little shadow dropping onto his Sire's lap. "Grand-Papa!"

"I'm so glad to hear that." Indra smiles as he looks at Itachi and the children. "Yes, I am here as always. What adventures do you have to tell me today?"

Akiko's eyes grow round and happy as she settles herself in her Grand-Papa's lap. "Haruto and I found frogs in the pond yesterday and wanted to know what they tasted like. So-"

Itachi chuckles and shakes his head as his little princess gives a full rendition of just how she watched her brother try to figure out what frog blood tasted like. It seemed that they were beginning to show their vampirism already.

But his chuckles quiet into a hum as thick fingers wrap themselves over his shoulder and neck. Itachi leans back and looks up over his shoulder and smiles. "You're back."

"Course. Couldn't have missed out on a story about frog blood, could I?" Kisame laughs as he kisses Itachi's cheek. "I guess it's a good thing she's still so little. I heard about that kissing the frog who turns into a prince thing. You don't think that actually happened once, do you?"

"Who knows?" Itachi glances at Indra, then places a kiss on top of Haruto's head and gently shuffles his son off his lap. "Shall we take a walk, Kisame? There's something that I would like to tell you."

"Sure. Lord Indra, do you mind watching the pups for a bit?" Kisame grins at Indra.

"Of course not." Indra smiles as Haruto clambers into his lap to join his sister. "They'll be perfectly safe right here. And I'm sure that the two of you have a great deal to talk about."

Kisame frowns at that. Indra definitely knew something that he didn't. "Yeah. We'll be back soon. Thank you, Lord Indra."

With the kids taken care of, the shark demon intertwines his fingers with Itachi's. "Lead the way." He wasn't sure what was going on, but it couldn't be that bad. Could it? Indra looked pretty happy about whatever it was.

Itachi squeezes Kisame's fingers softly as he pulls his mate away from the courtyard and towards the stairs leading to the gardens on the next terrace. The place had a symbolic meaning to Itachi now, and he wasn't one to break this sort of tradition. "You know, you're going to get wrinkles on your brow if you insist on looking so anxious, Kisame."

"Eh, not too worried about wrinkles. What's going on, Itachi?" Kisame searches his Mate's eyes for some sort of clue. Why had he been left in the dark about whatever this matter was until now? "Lord Indra seems to think you've got a lot to tell me about something."

"Well, in reality, I have very little to say. But I'm sure that you will have plenty to say about it." After Itachi shocked him speechless first, of course. The scent of roses and lilies fills the air, a soothing scent that Itachi took great solace in. "It's good news, I promise."

"Well, good because you're kinda freaking me out with all this secrecy. I know vampires get off on that sorta thing, but it makes shark demons edgy." Kisame raises an eyebrow at his Mate's serene demeanor.

"Yes, I know, and I'm sorry." Itachi turns about and seats himself on the same bench he had sat on all those years ago when he first announced to Kisame that they were expecting pups. "But this is a cause for celebration. I had planned to tell you first, but it's impossible to keep anything hidden from Indra." Itachi laughs softly and places Kisame's hand to his stomach. "I'm pregnant."

He blinks. Whatever he had been expecting, that hadn't been it. It takes approximiately three seconds for Kisame to process that news before he sweeps his Mate into his arms. Then as any proper shark demon would do, he spins his beloved around and grins fangtastically. "That's wonderful news!"

Oh no, not again. "Kisame!" Though Itachi hadn't been feeling any morning sickness yet today, he did not like the idea of pressing his luck. "Please stop spinning me."

"Right. Sorry, sorry." He gently sets his Mate down. "It's just an instinct."

"I know…I know…" Still, those instincts of Kisame's were going to make Itachi seriously ill one day. "It seems that the drop in fertility that Indra mentioned is less of a steep drop and more of a downward curve." Itachi hadn't expected to become pregnant again so soon, but he was hardly going to complain about having the chance to bring more children into this world.

"Well, that's good to know. How are you feeling...I mean other than dizzy from the Spinning?" Kisame grins at him, almost unable to believe their good fortune.

"I feel…" Itachi places a hand to his stomach. "I feel happy, hopeful. How can I not? We're about to add more members to our family."

"Good. I'm glad." Kisame grins as he kisses his beloved. "So when do you wanna tell the triplets?"

"Perhaps when I actually start showing." Itachi couldn't imagine explaining the mechanics to them without concrete evidence that he was telling them the truth. He runs his hand over his still flat stomach. "Of course, that shouldn't be long now."

"Yeah. That makes sense." Kisame nods in agreement so excitedly that it was a wonder his head didn't fall off. "So, what should we do now?"

"Hm…eat some pie?" Itachi had been craving cherry pie today. And pickles. "I could also be persuaded to eat some lamb stew with rose petals sprinkled over it."

"That sounds great. Let's go and get you some food." Kisame smirks as he pulls his mate away from the garden.

"Yes, let's." Itachi did so love being wrapped in Kisame's love for him. It was like being wrapped in a thick, warm blanket. "I love you, Kisame." With a love that was thicker than blood and thicker than water, Itachi did love him so.

"I love you too. More than anything." Kisame wraps his arm around Itachi's waist. "Now, let's get you and our pups that pie."


End file.
